Outside Interference
by Ryunya
Summary: Izaya is tired, but people keep bothering him. Post-Ketsu. Izaya-centric, Shizaya a bit later.
1. Chapter 1

Hi ! So I'm not quite new on the fandom, but this is my first English contribution ^^ English is not my native language, so I apologize if there is any mistakes. It's beta'ed though, so there shouldn't be much ^^

My bêta for this chapter was **IaithCariad** , who helped me a lot ^^ Thank you.

So... this fic is kind of a fix-it fic, because I wasn't happy with the way Izaya was left at the end of the novels. It goes AU from there, so the Sunset novel never happened. For now, it's an Izaya-centric (I want to say a character study, but not so much in fact), but Shizaya is never far XD

Enjoy !

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 **Outside Interference - 01**

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Izaya looked out of the window, thinking. It wasn't the way he used to, though. Before, it was lightning-fast thoughts coursing through his mind while fighting Shizuo; it was unspoken yet very important information swirling inside his head while meeting a client. Now… It was quiet, peaceful, but then again, his lifestyle had considerably slowed down compared to before.

He wasn't focusing on anything in particular, just letting his thoughts wander where they wanted. Vaguely, he realised the sun was slowly disappearing from the sky. He had a good view from his window, and he smiled softly, watching the beauty of the sunset.

There was a 'ping' sound, and Izaya looked down at his lap, where one of his many phones was resting. The message he just received made him frown, but the second one, who arrived just after, lightened his mood. Turning toward his computer, he typed his password and went looking through his files.

He sent an e-mail, and waited for the reply. It came soon enough, and Izaya smiled contently when his bank account registered a transfer. And one more transaction done successfully.

Izaya didn't meet his clients anymore. He only worked by mail, phone call and sometime he used a middleman. Some clients minded, but Izaya hadn't lost any of his efficiency, nor any of his reliability.

He was the same as ever, except he didn't meet his clients in person, and he was in a wheelchair.

His eyes found their way again toward the window, but he tore his gaze away and made his way to his bedroom. He still hadn't had much practice using his wheelchair, and his arms often hurt, but navigating in his flat was quite easy: he arranged it that way. No stairs, low furniture, and easy access everywhere.

However, halfway through his room, a different kind of 'ping' reached his ears. It was coming from a specific cell phone, reserved for a specific person. Sighing, Izaya turned around and grabbed the device. The message was from Shiki, informing him the man was coming any time now. Shiki was an exception to his new 'no-meeting-with-clients' rule, but it was because the yakuza was far more than just a client to him.

Looking at his clock, Izaya was surprised to see it wasn't as late as he thought it was. It was winter after all. The night fell quite early. But he was tired, and he found it a little odd for Shiki to drop by without any warning beforehand.

Frowning, he was about to respond, but his doorbell interrupted him. He flinched violently, and his cell phone clattered on the floor. Cursing under his breath, he didn't even attempt to pick it up. It would only result in him falling or hurting himself. Instead, he went to the door.

Shiki's stoic face greeted him and Izaya smiled, even though he didn't feel like it. The yakuza's underlings weren't in sight, but the informant knew there was at least one, hidden behind the corner of the corridor.

"Good evening, Izaya-kun," Shiki declared, eyeing Izaya without any kind of expression on his face.

"Good evening to you too, Shiki-san! It's so nice of you to visit." The informant wondered when Shiki had reverted from Orihara-san to Izaya-kun. Surprisingly, he didn't really mind.

He pushed his wheelchair back, and Shiki took the hint, stepping inside. He closed the door behind him and followed Izaya into the living room.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Izaya asked, trying to sound cheerful, even if his heart wasn't in it.

Why did his mood darken so quickly? He was fine, and then he wasn't anymore. Was it because he dropped the phone? Ah, Shiki really had bad timing.

"The information you gave us last time was very good. You have our thanks." The yakuza sat on the couch and crossed his legs nonchalantly.

Izaya nodded, because it was true. He always dug up the best for Shiki.

"Do you have what I asked for?" he went on, raising an eyebrow.

"Why, of course, Shiki-san. Since when do you doubt my skills?" Izaya propelled his wheelchair forward and settled behind his computer. Shiki watched him as he printed the aforementioned information, and he felt a little unnerved. "But you didn't need to come in person. I could have sent them over," he commented, getting the printed files and going back to where Shiki, who hadn't replied, was sitting.

They then proceeded to go through all the information, Shiki nodding or frowning alternatively as Izaya explained all of his findings. He had been asked to find anything he could on a newly found drug distributor gang. It had been a bit tricky, but Izaya had finally gathered everything he needed in the morning, and was about to send it to Shiki the next day.

The meeting dragged on because the subject kept changing to other gangs, Shiki wanting to know which one of them was the protector of the new one. Izaya began to feel his tiredness take the better of him as he stumbled once or twice on his words.

His legs were aching, and resting would ease his damaged limbs. However, with the night often came nightmares and phantom pain, and Izaya had a feeling tonight would be one of those hard nights, so he tried to keep up with Shiki and didn't say anything to end the meeting.

However, the yakuza noticed his informant wasn't at his best, and decided, two hours after his arrival, to cut his visit short. "I think I have all I need," he declared, standing with the files in hand.

"Really?" Izaya blinked, because he hadn't gone over the last pages of the file.

"I have another appointment. I will call you if I need any clarification." Shiki turned around, but his eye caught something and he bent down, picking up the phone Izaya had dropped earlier. Without a word, he gave it back to the informant.

"Oh, thank you, Shiki-san. Well, then, I trust you can find the exit on your own?" Izaya wasn't trying to be rude. He was just too tired to go all the way just to come back.

Shiki stood still for a moment, staring at him. "Take care of yourself, Izaya-kun," he advised before leaving the room.

"Of course, Shiki-san. Have a good night!" Izaya called back after him, but Shiki gave no sign he heard. The sound of the door opening and closing marked his exit.

Izaya passed a hand through his hair and looked around. The couch was comfortable, and he didn't feel like going to his bedroom. He thought he heard something, a shout in the distance, but he dismissed it as he painfully manoeuvred himself out of his wheelchair and onto the couch. He then rolled the chair around, parking it behind the armrest, before carefully lying down. He wasn't cold, but a little shiver ran along his spine.

He didn't even have time to close his eyes when suddenly, Izaya heard a loud bang. He abruptly sat up, berating himself for the spike of pain that followed. What was it?

"IZAYA!"

The scream was very familiar. A wave of memories washed over Izaya. If he was hearing this yell, Shizuo wasn't far. Indeed, the blond appeared in the hallway, having apparently broken the door.

Before Izaya could react, the forever fuming bartender lifted him by the hem of his t-shirt and glared at him.

"I knew it was you! It's always you! What are you planning this time? Faking your death and disappearing who knows where…"

Izaya chuckled. The monster hadn't changed one bit. "Now, Shizu-chan, I didn't fake my death. You merely assumed I was dead. Can your underdeveloped brain grasp the difference?"

Shizuo gritted his teeth and shook Izaya hard to shut him up. He was about to growl something in reply when a voice politely interrupted.

"Heiwajima-san, I think it would be in your best interest to put down Orihara-san this instant."

Izaya shifted his gaze to see Shiki, with some of his men pointing guns at Shizuo. Behind them was Tom, looking slightly alarmed, with another two of Shiki's underlings. The debt collector wasn't directly threatened, but the menace was clear.

Shizuo turned around with an angry "What?" but he soon realised the situation he was in. His temper flared, but Tom made him a sign that clearly indicated he should leave it this time.

With a grunt and a lingering look to the guns, Shizuo turned back to Izaya, who was still smirking. A few seconds crawled by in tense waiting before the blond tossed the informant back on his feet and walked away, grabbing Tom on his way. Shiki gave a nod to his men and they exited the flat, some to check if Shizuo was really gone and others to guard the now broken door.

Shiki then uncharacteristically rushed toward Izaya and kneeled beside him. The informant was having a hard time: as soon as Shizuo had dropped him, he had collapsed all the way to the floor, his legs unable to support his weight. The brute hadn't even noticed.

Izaya was now gasping softly, trying to breathe properly and tears threatening to spill because of the pain he was experiencing. He hadn't even fallen right, his legs beneath him bending far much than his injuries should allow them to.

"What can I do?" Shiki asked, managing to keep the concern out of his voice, even if his eyes were full of it.

Izaya grabbed the yakuza's shoulder with one hand while trying to lift himself up with other. "Pick me up," he demanded, in too much pain to care that he was asking Shiki for help or appearing weak in front of him.

The older man complied, and stood up with Izaya in his arms, one hand under his thighs and the other around his shoulder. "On the couch," the informant requested. He sighed in relief when the yakuza obeyed him. He sank into the pillows and let his legs dangle loosely from the edge.

One of Shiki's man came in, and his boss raised an eyebrow. "He seems to be gone, sir." Shiki nodded. "Very well. Take care of the door." The man bowed and left.

A chuckle left Izaya's lips. "I have to admit, that was quite unexpected."

Shiki sat beside him, and even through Izaya seemed to have recovered, the yakuza knew him well enough to see that wasn't the case. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy, Shiki-san! A little pain is unavoidable when you're dealing with a brute like Shizu-chan, after all. But, I'm wondering… how did he know I was here?" Izaya frowned, because it was indeed very suspicious.

"He was already there," Shiki replied after a beat. "I think he was collecting some debt at the flat next to yours, and he saw me leaving this place. It's surprising he knew I'm involved with you, though."

"Don't bother too much yourself with that, Shiki-san. I started working with you in high-school, and he was one of my classmates, so he must have seen us together once or twice. But, as simple-minded as he is, he probably didn't even consider the possibility that you were visiting some random gang leader."

Shiki frowned, but didn't comment. "Do you need a safe place to stay?" he asked instead.

Izaya laughed a little. "What for? I doubt Shizu-chan will come back, and if he does, I will make sure he notices my wheelchair this time."

"And if tell someone? You have a lot of other enemies." Shiki was a bit disconcerted by Izaya's lack of concern.

"Shizu-chan won't tell. A lot of my so-called enemies have approached him in the past to try and learn more about me, us having been classmate and all, but he never disclosed any information about me to anyone."

Izaya smiled at his own words, and Shiki wondered if their relationship was as simple as it appeared. "He could at least tell them my favourite food is ootoro!" the informant continued, pouting. "Every time I receive a gift from a client, it's either wine or sweets. And I hate sweets."

Shiki didn't get fooled by the smile on Izaya's face. The set of his jaw and the tightening around his eyes showed he was still in pain, and his next words confirmed it. "Ah, Shiki-san, would you mind giving me the bottle on the counter over there?"

It was painkillers, and Izaya swallowed three pills dry. Shiki gave him a look when he waved the bottle, waiting for the yakuza to take it back where he found it. "I'm not going to obey your every wish, Izaya-kun."

"What… You're so mean to a disabled man!" Izaya feigned being hurt, but he failed because of the drugs beginning to affect his system.

"You aren't –" Shiki began before cutting himself off. Izaya was, in fact, disabled. He couldn't walk anymore.

The informant's eyes softened at the slip, but then he grinned and threw his arms in the air. "Okay, one last task, Shiki-san. Carry me to my bed!"

One corner of the yakuza's mouth twitched in annoyance, but he nonetheless scooped up Izaya in his arms. The informant was beginning to nod off because of the painkillers, and Shiki knew he wouldn't have been able to go to his room on his own. That was the only reason why he was indulging him like this.

"Be sure to close the door when you leave." Izaya mumbled against his chest, his red eyes closing.

Shiki felt a surge of affection at the sight, but he tamped it down. Izaya wasn't a lost kid anymore. He had long since grown up, and they had both moved on. But still… The informant was now more vulnerable than ever. He couldn't run, he couldn't escape…

Shiki was concerned. That's why he often came in person, to check on Izaya and make sure he was okay. Of course, he wouldn't tell the informant that, especially since the yakuza had sworn that he wasn't going to treat him differently because of his injuries.

With care, he put Izaya in his bed. He hesitated slightly, but then shrugged and began to undress the informant. He took off his trousers, revealing two bony legs. It has been six months since the fight, and due to the lack of exercise, the muscles had wasted away.

The t-shirt came off next, and Shiki frowned a little at how thin Izaya was. He already knew the informant wasn't eating regularly and often forgot to take care of himself, but with the state he was in, the yakuza would have thought he would be more careful. And yet, his ribs showed against his skin.

Shiki covered Izaya with the blanket before leaving the room, letting the informant sleep peacefully.

...

...

Izaya woke up with a splitting headache, as he often did after taking his pills. They were strong, but the side effects were quite annoying. At least he wasn't nauseous. He realised he was only wearing his pants, and grimaced at the thought of Shiki undressing him.

Looking around, he was relieved to see the yakuza had had the presence of mind to bring his wheelchair next to his bed. He would have been forced to wait for Akane otherwise. Slowly, he lowered himself on the chair and rolled it to his closet. Clothing himself had become somewhat tiresome, but he managed to put on some trousers without hurting himself too much.

Thinking about what happened the day before, he scowled at his behaviour. Showing his weakness in front of Shiki like that... He was embarrassed, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The next time he saw the yakuza, he would act as if nothing had happened.

Izaya went to the kitchen. He wasn't very hungry, but he had to eat something, because he couldn't remember the last time he took a full meal. To his surprise, a package of sushi was waiting for him on the counter. Probably from Shiki, the informant mused.

Of course, there was some ootoro inside, and for once, Izaya ate happily, enjoying the delicate taste of the fish. Once he was done, he messaged a "Thanks" to Shiki, and checked the clock. Akane would surely be there shortly.

The little girl, the heiress of the Awakusu Kai, had been helping him for a little over two months. She was looking for a way to make some pocket money, and Shiki had assured his boss she would be safe with Izaya. Because of who she was, the informant knew he could trust her and he didn't have to worry about information leaks.

Furthermore, she was a very nice girl, and Izaya had taken a liking into her. She seemed to like him as well, but the informant wondered if she knew he was the one who manipulated her into trying to kill Shizuo. But that was in the past now, and he wasn't going to bring it up.

Akane was quite useful. She pushed his wheelchair when he was going outside – his arms didn't have enough strength to do it for long – and she helped him clean the house. She only came on the weekends when she was available, and today, Saturday, she was supposed to take him to do some shopping. He ordered most of what he needed online, but he couldn't spend his life locked indoors. He had to get out once in a while.

He was living in Asakusa, a quiet district on the other side of Tokyo where no one knew him. Admittedly, it was a bit boring compared to Ikebukuro, but at least he didn't have to worry over a random pedestrian taking advantage of his disability. He had angered a lot of people, and it was best for him to stay dead.

Shizuo's accusation had some truth in it. After their fight, Izaya had let everyone believe he was dead. Even Shinra, who didn't seem very fazed by the news. The only ones in the confidence were Shiki, some trustworthy members of the Awakusu Kai, and his twin sisters. Well, and Shizuo, now. There was also the blond's boss, Tom, but Izaya didn't really care about him. He wasn't much of a threat and would surely keep his mouth shut.

Even his clients knew him under the name of Chrome, and nothing more. They were often joking about the fact that his sudden appearance after Orihara Izaya's death was quite handy, and that his skills were nearly as good (and they would say better, if it weren't for the fact that they didn't know his face and therefore couldn't fully trust him).

His doorbell rang, which was odd, since he had given Akane a spare key. His heartbeat jumped a little at the thought it could be Shizuo, but he dismissed the idea. The blond would barge in like the brute he was, and the fact that his door (now fixed, thanks to Shiki) was still standing signified it wasn't him.

There was a second ring, and a third, and Izaya realised who it was. Only Mairu would be so immature. Sighing, he went to open the door, and as soon as he did, he received an armful of Kururi.

"Oww!" He winced at the weight placed on his lap.

Kururi withdrew a little, but kept her arms around his neck. "Sorry." His quiet little sister had become strangely clingy, and while he was happy for the affection she showed, he found it sad she had to wait for him to nearly die to express it.

Mairu was also nicer, even if they still exchanged snarky comments. Smiling, she waved at him, but didn't move when he tried to close the door. "We are going out, Iza-nii!" she exclaimed, and moved around him to push his wheelchair.

Izaya disentangled himself from Kururi, who gave him a last squeeze before letting go. "What are you talking about?" he asked, frowning. "I can't. Akane-chan is the one taking me out today."

Mairu pushed forward, completely oblivious, and Izaya could do nothing to stop her except hit the brakes, but if he did that he would end up on the floor. His sister was cruel that way, knowing he couldn't fight her anymore and still forcing him.

"Akane-chan... Agree... Exchange... (Akane-chan agreed to change place with us today.)" Kururi smiled a little, and Izaya threw his arms in the air, giving up.

"Fine! Just grab my coat, would you?"

Mairu happily complied, before stepping out of the flat and closing the door behind them. "So, where do you want to go, Iza-nii?"

"So nice of you to ask, Mairu."

"Well, I decided today I would be."

Izaya vaguely wondered if she had talked with Shiki. "Just the supermarket and the bookstore. I'm a bit tired today."

"Okay...?" Kururi frowned, examining Izaya more closely.

"I'm fine, Kururi. Just... tired."

They kept talking, about school and other things, while Mairu and Kururi were taking turn pushing his chair. Izaya was receiving stares, but most of them were kind, because he was a familiar face in the neighbourhood. They didn't know his name; just that he was a handicapped man, helped by his sisters (or his daughters, maybe?), nice and friendly to everyone, but who didn't come out a lot.

The ones who didn't know him pitied him or admired him, but Izaya didn't really care about what they thought. Mairu and Kururi appeared oblivious, but when a man looked down at their brother with disdain, they would react accordingly. Meaning, with some well-placed words or kicks.

The shopping was quickly expedited, because Izaya was indeed feeling tired. He began nodding off on their way back, even though he had just woken up a few hours ago. His painkiller-induced sleep wasn't the most restful, after all. His sisters didn't mind; Mairu hummed happily while Kururi quietly pushed him.

They stayed with him in his flat for one more hour, and Izaya drank several cups of tea to keep the sleepiness at bay. At one point, Mairu received a text, which prompted them to leave. Their brother asked them to give him a warning before coming the next time, but they brushed him off and told him they would see him later.

After they left, Izaya settled at his desk to work a bit. He had two new requests, and luckily for them, he already had the information the first one asked. It was one of the reasons why he was the best informant in town: he didn't wait to be asked for an information to dig it up. He had a file on every important person around and kept himself informed of all new change in the dynamics of the various gangs.

The client was very happy with his fast reply, and a new zero was added to Izaya's account. Shiki had also transferred his payment for the information he gave him yesterday, but he was on a separate account. Izaya didn't really care about money, but it was representative of how good he was at his work. And he loved his work. That's why he kept doing it, because he had enough money to live the rest of his life without working if he wanted.

However, the second request was a bit… odd. The requested information was about him. Not him as Chrome, but as Orihara Izaya. It was strange, because people didn't ask information about a dead man… The name of his client was Fenrir, which Izaya knew was the name of a mythological wolf.

Izaya researched him a bit, but didn't find anything worthy of his attention. His real name was Kazuhiro Teima, and he was a middle-aged man working for a law firm. Nothing interesting about him, and Izaya wondered how he got the money to pay an informant like Chrome. Nonetheless, he sent him an e-mail with superficial information about himself, smiling when he added that he was 'presumed dead'.

The afternoon was well advanced when he took a break, and he realised he hadn't eaten since this morning. He took a glass of water and decided to wait until dinner to eat.

The next few days were quite uneventful, except for the fact that Izaya was feeling a bit down. He received one visit from Akane-chan, but otherwise didn't see anyone. His legs ached more than usual, and the word 'psychosomatic' kept haunting his thoughts.

His doctors had advised him to see a psychiatrist, but he had politely declined. Like he was going to speak of his problem to a stranger... And anyway, the loss of his legs was his price for losing against Shizuo, and he had accepted it.

The next week, Shiki contacted him with a more important work than usual, and Izaya welcomed the distraction from all the dull jobs he was getting. It seemed everyone was looking into drug traffic at the moment, and the informant had already sold the same information to five people already.

Shiki's demand was on Awakusu Kai itself. Apparently, there was a mole, and Izaya already had some idea of who it might be. However, he needed solid proof, and that was what he was researching when a knock at his door interrupted him.

It was Friday afternoon, so it wasn't Akane. Shiki would have sent a text before, so the only option left was his sisters. He finished typing his sentence, sent his mail, and proceeded to make his way to the door. The knocking had become frantic, and Izaya wondered what his sisters were up to on the other side.

He tried to hurry, but he misjudged the corner and one of his wheels bumped against the wall, sending the chair – and him with it – onto the ground. Fortunately, he fell on his backwards after a clever half-turn, and the pain wasn't as strong as the other day.

Cursing under his breath, Izaya tried to set his chair upright, but from below with his weak arms, it didn't do much good. The door was three meters away, but he couldn't reach it without crawling. And he certainly wouldn't crawl.

The knocking was becoming so loud and insistent that Izaya wondered if his sisters were in some kind of hurry. "Could you give me a minute?" he snapped, and clearly he was heard, for no more knocking came.

Switching strategies, he tipped one wheel of the chair, hoping gravity would do the trick. He pressed harder, gritting his teeth against the pain, and the chair finally fell back on his wheels with a loud 'thud'.

Breathing hard, Izaya barely heard the voice through the door. "Izaya…?" He froze. It was Shizuo's voice. "I know you're in there, flea! Open the damn door!" It sounded angrier already.

Izaya quelled any tremor in his breathing, which would be audible in his voice, before responding. "You are stupider than I thought, if you seriously believe I am going to let you in."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to be beaten to a pulp."

There was a pause, and Izaya wondered if Shizuo had left. The informant had a point, after all. "I knocked, didn't I?" the blond finally said. "I just want to talk."

Izaya laughed out loud, unsure if he heard right. "You can't talk, Shizu-chan. You only grunt or growl."

The reaction was immediate. "Oi, flea! I'm trying, here!"

But Izaya decided to ignore him. If the brute wasn't going to force his way in, then the informant didn't want to open the door. Instead, he focused his attention on how he was going to climb back into his chair.

"Flea!" Shizuo shouted, tambouring against the door, making it bend slightly inward.

Izaya gave an annoyed look in the direction of the door. "You're such a brute, always breaking things… And people too. Do you really think anyone would let a monster into their home?"

It seemed that Izaya had just ripped apart the last seam keeping Shizuo together. "Izaya, you bastard!" A punch went through the door, and Izaya flinched when he saw the arm sticking out of the hole. Now he was going to have to repair it…

Then Izaya realised Shizuo was about to come in, and he was still on the floor. Scrambling, he tried to push himself up and sit on the wheelchair, but he had forgotten to put the brakes and it rolled away against the wall.

Behind, the door opened, or rather flew into the wall, and a very pissed-off-looking bartender stepped inside the flat. However, he froze at the sight in front of him. Izaya briefly wondered what he looked like, on the floor with a wheelchair not so far away and motionless legs.

"What are you doing on the floor, flea?" Shizuo asked, still frowning but looking a bit unsure of himself.

"What does it look like, Shizu-chan? I'm resting, obviously."

"And what is that?" He pointed toward the wheelchair.

"It's a time machine," Izaya deadpanned. Shizuo glared at him and took a step forward. The informant held his hand up. "Shizu-chan, it's not my fault if you don't even know what a wheelchair looks like. It's surprising though, given the number of people who use one because of you."

Keeping on insulting him maybe wasn't his best move, but Izaya couldn't help himself. He wasn't scared. He had never been scared of Shizuo. However, he didn't like pain, and a fight with the blond now would be even more one-sided than usual.

But Shizuo didn't attack him. A look of realisation dawned on his face, and his eyes widened in horror. "You can't walk?"

Izaya couldn't help but smirk, however predictable the blond's reaction was. Personally, he didn't think Shizuo should feel guilty. After all, it was a fight to death, and both sides were aware of that when they started it. But it was interesting to see that a brute like him was feeling guilty.

"No, I can't, thanks to you. But I don't mind."

Shizuo stared at him, flabbergasted. "What?" he dumbly asked.

Izaya sighed. "Are you hard of hearing now? I said I didn't mind." And while Shizuo was too stunned to say anything, Izaya dragged himself to his wheelchair. This time, he made sure to check the brakes before trying to sit. He had to put weight on his legs, but he managed to do it without hurting himself too much.

He waited for the worst of the pain to fade before facing Shizuo. He felt strangely pleased, knowing he could manipulate the brute so easily just because of a little guilt. "So, tell me, Shizu-chan, what are you doing here? What do you want to 'talk' about?"

Apparently, Shizuo must have come to the conclusion that he shouldn't feel guilty for someone he hated as much as Izaya because he stopped with the horrified look. "I just wanted... you know, to see if..." And the guilt was back.

"If I had any evil master plan going on?" Izaya guessed. "My, Shizu-chan, how did you figure it out? I planned to knock over a few innocents today! Luckily for them, you were here to stop me!" Izaya went back and forth with his chair to emphasis his speech.

"You don't need to walk to screw with people's head," Shizuo mumbled, eyeing him grumpily.

"Really, Shizu-chan, I have nothing going on right now, but I'll let you know when I do." Izaya smiled, in a better mood he had ever been the last few days.

"What about the man I saw last time?"

"Shiki-san? What about him?"

"He is a yakuza, right? You were doing something shady with him!" Shizuo's voice regained volume as his temper flared again.

"I was just doing my job, you protozoan. Meaning I was selling information. And information is neutral. It's neither good nor bad. Just like me!"

"Shut up, flea! Your information caused a lot of trouble! And how can you still be an informant if you are supposed to be dead?" Shizuo took a step forward and Izaya wheeled back, entering the living room. The blond followed, and took in his surroundings.

"I used a pseudonym, obviously."

Shizuo glared, but his anger had once again subsided. After all, Izaya's flat was full of reminders that he was disabled. "So, do you have anything else to say? Otherwise, I would like you to leave," the informant went on, raising an eyebrow as Shizuo took a defensive stance.

"What about your sisters? And Shinra? Do they know you're alive?"

The question was a bit odd, coming from Shizuo. Izaya wasn't sure why he asked. "My sisters come visit once in a while, but as far as I know, Shinra believe I am dead."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know, maybe because he is your friend, you stupid flea!" Shizuo punched a hole in the nearest wall, then another, trying to calm himself.

"I don't think it matters much to him..." Izaya began cautiously, wondering why Shizuo was restraining himself. Was it really because of the wheelchair? If so, it was pathetic. "And anyway, you can tell him if you want."

Fuming, Shizuo turned back to him. "I don't want to talk about you!"

"Well, then, I guess you don't want to talk to me either. So why don't you leave?" However fun it was to talk to Shizuo and anger him, Izaya didn't want to attract much attention (and the brute was anything but discreet) and, if possible, he wanted to avoid being punched.

"Tch." Reluctantly, Shizuo retreated in the doorway, and Izaya followed him. Just as the blond was about to step outside, he added: "And I'm counting on you to fix the door, of course."

"What? Like hell! Do it yourself!"

Izaya raised an eyebrow and gestured to his legs. Shizuo opened his mouth, then closed it, before scowling. He nonetheless picked up the door and replaced it in its frame. It didn't do much good, but the brute didn't care and left without a word.

That went better than expected, Izaya mused as he returned to the living room. However, he didn't have much time to reflect on the encounter. His phone began to ring. It was his public phone, the one which number he gave to his first-time clients.

"Hello?" He answered cheerfully.

"Chrome-san? My name is Fenrir, and I requested your service not so long ago." The voice at the end of the line was deep and assured.

"Oh yes, Fenrir-san! You contacted me for information about Orihara Izaya, is that right? Was it not to your satisfaction?"

"Well in fact, it wasn't."

Izaya raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often someone complained about his work. "Care to elaborate?"

"I was hoping you could provide me with more... in-depth information about him. You see, you only sent me superficial data which can be found online rather easily."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "For the price you gave me, I wasn't going to give you more, Fenrir-san. I hope you understand that. Orihara Izaya is a very secretive man and finding anything interesting about him is quite difficult."

"I knew it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I knew it! He is alive, isn't he? You said he 'is' a very secretive man. Not he 'was'. I was right all along!"

Izaya gripped his phone tighter. What a stupid mistake! It was all Shizuo's fault, for distracting him with his visit. "I assure you, Fenrir-san, that was nothing more than a slip. In fact, his body wasn't found, so the possibility of him being alive isn't unthinkable, even if highly improbable."

"No, no, he is alive. You know him, right? Personally. You are one of his friends. He passed his business to you." Fenrir sounded so sure of what he was saying, it was quite hilarious.

Izaya decided then it didn't matter if people knew he was alive. He just needed Chrome to stay undiscovered. "Yes, I was under the supervision of Orihara-san. But he didn't pass his business to me; I took it over when he left Japan." The slip was intentional this time.

"What do you mean, left Japan?"

"Ah, well. I guess I can give you this one for free. Orihara-san left for England just after his fight with Heiwajima Shizuo."

Fenrir was silent for a bit, but then he muttered: "It doesn't matter. Can you tell me more about him? I will pay whatever price you ask for."

Izaya was a bit surprised. He thought the man would give up once his suspicions were confirmed. Was he a stalker or something? "Very well, Fenrir-san. I will send you an e-mail shortly with the price, and then a second one when you have paid."

They politely said goodbye to each other, then hung up. Izaya stared at his phone, pondering a little, before scrolling through his contacts and calling Shiki's number. However, he went to voice mail after six rings. He didn't bother leaving a message. It could wait.

He was about to put his phone away when a chime informed him he had a text. It was from Akane, who confirmed she was coming tomorrow for a bit of cleaning. Izaya couldn't reach the highest places, and while Akane was not very tall, she could climb on a chair. The informant could have hired a cleaning lady, but he didn't want a stranger wandering free to search everything in his flat.

Namie used to do it, but she had gone to Chicago with Celty's head. Izaya allowed himself to remember her in a moment of nostalgia, before responding with a happy smiley to Akane. He then took a look at the wall and the door, and called a bricklayer.

...

...

...

Each time Izaya saw Akane, the little girl's first move was to jump in his arms. She was a very affectionate child, and he felt a little guilty for using her in one of his schemes. Before touching him, however, she remembered his condition and settled for a peck on the cheek.

She did the same thing the next day, and Izaya smiled gently at her. He then looked up to see Akabayashi, which had accompanied the girl here. She always came with a bodyguard, and departed with another. Shiki trusted Izaya enough to leave her alone in his care in-between.

"Thank you for bringing her, Akabayashi-san." Usually, it was his cue to leave. This time, however…

"Do you mind if I stay a bit?" the yakuza asked with a smirk. "I haven't much to do at the moment."

Izaya narrowed his eyes, but inclined his head in acceptance. He turned to Akane. "Go and fetch me the supplies, if you will, Akane-chan. They haven't moved from where you put them last time."

The girl nodded happily and disappeared around a corner. Akabayashi shrugged of his coat and sat on the couch. Izaya was tempted to ask him to help with the cleaning, and while he might have asked Shiki, he didn't know the red-haired man that well. He chose to ignore him instead and picked up the vacuum.

The cleaning was always fun to do, even if Izaya was very tired afterwards. Akane was quite enthusiastic and didn't hesitate to get her hands dirty. They did a big cleaning like that every month to every two months, depending on their activities. Sometimes they would forget; sometimes they would get distracted before starting.

This time, they got it done fairly quickly, under the amused stare of Akabayashi, who didn't move except for his feet when the floor was mopped. Izaya's mood improved, similar to the way it did every time he saw Akane, and by the end of the afternoon, every surface of the flat was shining.

"Akane-chan!" Izaya called from the kitchen. He had a few sweets to give her (from some of his clients who still didn't know he hated sweets). "I have a few things for you."

Akane ate the lollipop, but kept the gum for later. Izaya then beckoned her toward his desk, where his wallet was. "Well then, Akane-chan, I believe you did a fine job today! How much should I give you?"

He usually paid her 2,000 yen after each of her visit, regardless of their activities, but he had so much money lately he didn't know what to do with it. Feeling a bit mischievous, he gave her a 500 yen coin. But she didn't seem very disappointed. She frowned a little, before shrugging and smiling at him.

Izaya laughed. "Ahah, just kidding, Akane-chan." He took out two 1,000 yen bills. She pouted a little before taking it. "But I'm wondering, how do you spend all this money?"

"I'm saving it!" the girl exclaimed while putting the money in her little bag. "And I'm buying sweets for Shizuo-onii-chan!"

"Oh?" Izaya's smile tightened around the edge, and he saw Akabayashi facepalm out of the corner of his eye. "Is that so?"

Akane nodded, oblivious. "You know him, don't you? He talks about you! A lot!"

Izaya tried to hide his annoyance, but he couldn't help but be interested. So Shizuo talked about him? "What does he say?"

Akane looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember. "He said… that you two are friends, but you had a disagreement. So you need to make up!"

Izaya internally rolled his eyes. Shizuo was such a simple-minded man. He couldn't even find a good lie. If Akane saw one of their fights, she wouldn't be fooled anymore as for the true nature of their relationship. Well, if she _had seen_ one in the past, because there wouldn't likely be another.

"Don't worry about it, Akane-chan. We talked the other day, and we made up."

"Really? I will tell him you said hi next time I see him!"

Izaya smirked. It would surely annoy the blond. "If you want."

Akane beamed at him, and Izaya decided he couldn't hold a grudge against her just for liking Shizuo.

"Time to go, Akane-chan." It was Akabayashi, who just received a call from Akane's father.

Izaya bid them goodbye and turned around a little in his flat. He was tired, but it was far too early to go to bed. He was also bored, but he couldn't do much about it. Well, he wasn't bored per se, but he didn't want to do anything.

He decided to go to bed. He didn't really have a specific schedule, so who cared if he switched night and day?

After a few hours of sleep, he woke up well-rested. It wasn't very often he slept this well, so the informant had a good feeling about the day – or night, given the fact it was around 2 AM. He worked a bit, clearing up the details about Shiki's mole, before taking a book and relaxing for a while.

At 4 AM exactly, there was a knock at the door. Izaya froze. Who could it be, at this ungodly hour? Shiki and his sisters wouldn't come so early, because they knew he was likely to be asleep. Shizuo was probably snoring in his bed, and Akane was out of question.

Izaya had learned his lesson. No more unexpected visitors. He went to the door, careful not to make a sound. Even though it would be painful, he gripped the doorknob for support and got to his feet. He glanced quickly through the peephole before lowering himself back on his chair.

He waited for the pain to fade while frowning. The man outside was unknown to him, even if his face felt familiar. Who was he? His clothes and stance indicated a plain salaryman. Maybe a door-to-door salesman?

It made him uneasy, so Izaya decided to act as if he wasn't here. The man would surely go away. Unnerved, the informant took his portable computer and went through his files. He had seen this face recently...

With a silent 'aha', Izaya opened Fenrir's file. It was him. All nervousness left the informant, now that he knew who it was. But how did Fenrir find his flat? That wasn't the point, decided Izaya. Why was he here?

If Izaya was correct – and he almost always was – Fenrir was a stalker. A closed door wouldn't stop him, except Izaya's door was a bit special and the informant doubted he would be able to open it. However, he wanted to speak to Fenrir, see what the man would do when he recognised him.

Therefore, he opened a window. The one with the balcony leading into the kitchen.

Then, Izaya picked up the phone and left a message to Shiki. "Shiki-san, if I don't call you back in ten minutes, please assume I'm dead and come collect my body at my flat!" He doubted the yakuza would wait ten whole minutes, but he was too far away to make it here any earlier.

Izaya parked himself in the living room, in front of the window, and waited. He felt the presence well before the man stepped into the room. With his back to him, Izaya smiled a little.

"Chrome-san?" The voice was a bit uncertain, and when Izaya turned around, Fenrir looked like he was about to faint. "Izaya-san?" he stuttered.

"Himself."

"No," the man whispered. "No, it's not possible. Not the legs. It was the arms. Crushed, broken. Not the legs. There was a knife. But on the side, not the legs, it can't be the legs..."

Izaya laughed. Here was one of his humans in all his splendour, mad as a loon and so full of sentiment and contradiction. "I guess I'm not living up to your expectation."

Striking the man with lightening would have had the same effect. He went to his knees, hands tightly holding the side-handles of Izaya's wheelchair. "No, I didn't mean that. I thought I would never... Chrome-san said you were gone and... Oh my god, you are Chrome! That's why you didn't meet any of your clients... You couldn't give up, of course you couldn't! You love us too much for that..."

Oddly, Izaya felt pleased. Did this man... understand him? "When I say I love all humans, it doesn't mean I like you as an individual."

"I know!" Fenrir sprang to his feet, eyes wild and teeth showing. "I know, because you can't. Your love is ethereal! Your love is egoistic, your love is abstract, of course you can't love a single person!"

Keeping his face straight, Izaya frowned inwardly. Was that it? Was that why? He suddenly got the urge to stab the man in the heart.

"But you haven't given up!" Fenrir reiterated. "You're still plotting your revenge against Heiwajima Shizuo!"

Izaya smiled. Fenrir smiled in return as the informant drew closer to him. He smiled still when the knife sliced his throat, and only began to frown when he found himself on the floor, drowning in his own blood.

"You're just like the others, after all. You don't understand at all." Izaya muttered as he watched Fenrir die with cold eyes.

He sighed, before checking the clock. The ten minutes had gone by, and Izaya hoped Shiki would arrive soon. He didn't feel very thrilled about having a rotting corpse in his living room. And he would have to clean up again, too. How would Akane feel about blood?

Izaya sighed again.

...

...

...

"Am I imagining this or are you really lecturing me?"

"Indeed I am, Izaya-kun. What were you thinking?" The way the yakuza accentuated the last word clearly implied he thought Izaya weren't thinking at all. "Let's forget a minute about the fact you killed someone. Why did you let him in in the first place?"

Izaya looked away, pouting a little. "He broke in. It wasn't my fault."

"Is that so?" Shiki smiled. It was a scary smile. "Well then, better upgrade the security, don't you think? Put some bars on the window, triple locks on the door, CCTV... No one will be able to get in." The smile widened. "Or out, for the matter."

"Shiki-san, I'm not a child, and I don't need you worrying over my crippled self. Will you help me with the body or not?"

Shiki sighed and looked over to the bloodstain on the floor. "It will be taken care of. Send me everything you got on that poor man, and we'll give him a believable death."

"Thank you."

Shiki shook his head, still annoyed at his informant's reckless behaviour. But he couldn't do much about it. As Izaya had pointed out, Shiki wasn't in charge of him, and the informant wasn't a child to be taken care of or scolded.

"Just take care of yourself, would you?" Shiki nonetheless asked, and Izaya nodded with a long-suffering look.

Shiki departed soon after and Izaya was glad he took the time to wash the blood off the floor. Asking Akane would have been a bit insensitive, and he couldn't get on his knees to do it himself.

Once all the yakuza were gone, Izaya went to his computer. He wanted to know how Fenrir found his place, and there was only one person who could answer, for he was probably the one who gave the man the information in the first place.

Izaya's opinion on Tsukumoya Shinichi was divided. The man (if you could call someone connected on his chat 24/7 human) always had whatever information Izaya asked him, for a reasonable price (meaning, a lot of money). On the other hands, Tsukumoya wasn't exclusively providing Izaya, and often sold information to his enemies.

He was a neutral party, in a way.

 _Orihara Izaya, reborn!_

 **Orihara Izaya**

 _You gave him my address._

 **Tsukumoya Shinichi**

 _Now, now, Orihara-san, it's not good to make assumptions._

 **Orihara Izaya**

 _Are you denying it?_

 **Tsukumoya Shinichi**

 _Not at all._

So he was right. Tsukumoya was the one who gave him the information. And probably for free, because Fenrir wasn't the healthiest man in town. The bastard.

 **Orihara Izaya**

 _Well?_

 **Tsukumoya Shinichi**

 _What is it?_

Izaya sighed. Tsukumoya was difficult today. But he wouldn't let him get on his nerves.

 **Orihara Izaya**

 _Why did you do it?_

 **Tsukumoya Shinichi**

 _For the lulz._

 **Orihara Izaya**

 _Tsukumoya, seriously._

 **Tsukumoya Shinichi**

 _You were getting sloppy._

Izaya raised an eyebrow. Tsukumoya rarely made bold statement like that.

 ** _Orihara Izaya_**

 _Well, excuse me for not being able to bounce around on my feet like I used to._

 **Tsukumoya Shinichi**

 _Don't pull your victim act on me. Your mind was getting sloppy. When was the last time you manipulated someone into doing your biding? You even stopped trying to kill Heiwajima. So I wanted to remind you of you are, of what you do._

So he didn't understand either. Izaya sighed.

Irritated with the way the conversation was going, he closed the chatroom. Tsukumoya would surely be very pissed off, but Izaya didn't care. He didn't care about much these days.

...

...

...

This time, he didn't even have to open the door; his next unexpected visitor was standing right in the middle of his living room. "Shinra? What are you doing here?"

Izaya was momentarily taken aback. What the heck was he doing here? How did he know he was alive? Did Shizuo spill the beans?

The doctor, with his trademark lab coat and glasses, was smiling. Though his expression was a bit off, Izaya didn't have time to reflect on that. Shinra circled him and took control of his wheelchair. "Shinra?!"

"Ahah, Izaya-kun, you know, when someone is hurt, they go to see their favourite doctor to patch them up. But, surprisingly, I didn't see you at all."

Izaya frowned. "Shinra…"

"But," the doctor went on, while pushing Izaya into his bedroom. "I told myself: 'It's your fault, you were busy beheading the love of your life…' But I fully expected you to be there when I got back, so I asked Celty to let me on her horse – a first, mind you – to be there as soon as possible… But no Izaya!"

Shinra had parked Izaya's chair beside his bed and before the informant could react, the doctor had picked him up and put him on the bed. "Shin –"

"It took three days, Izaya-kun." Shinra interrupted, pushing back his glasses on his nose. "Three days of waiting with my medical supplies ready. Three days of imagining you dying in an alleyway. Three days, because it was the most you could have survived without tending to your wounds."

Shinra put the bag he was carrying on the nightstand, and began to pull out a stethoscope. "And then you were dead. Utterly dead. Nobody had seen you since the fight, and your so-called allies didn't know anything. You. Were. Dead."

Izaya wanted to speak, but for once, he didn't. He kept silent as Shinra took his pulse. "But I was stupid, wasn't I? You could have gone to a different doctor. But I thought... I thought, if you didn't come to me, you wouldn't go to anyone else."

Izaya didn't really remember where Kine had brought him after the fight, but one thing was sure: it wasn't Shinra. He had asked him not to go to Shinra.

"And then, six months or so later, I'm treating Shizuo's wounds when I hear him mutter something about a 'fucking louse' who apparently can't leave his thoughts."

Shinra hadn't stopped smiling, and he was now checking every inch of Izaya, precisely and professionally, like the doctor he was. "So of course, I ask him if he is in love. And guess what? Shizuo is 'not in love with the flea'! It wasn't hard after that to extract the story from him, about how he found out you were alive. Because you are alive!"

Izaya flinched when Shinra put some pressure on his leg, but it didn't really hurt. "I was relieved you know. I was so relieved, I nearly missed the part about you being in a wheelchair."

Shinra paused, taking a breath. His smile never wavered. He didn't look at Izaya; he just resumed his examination. "Then I was angry at you. I thought: 'What kind of douchebag did he go to?' I thought: 'If it had been me, he could have made a full recovery.' So I decided to check on you, to see if I could do something about it."

Shinra straightened, finally looking Izaya in the eyes. "But what can I do against phantom pain and psychosomatic blockage?" He looked sad.

Izaya waited a bit, trying to determine if this was just a big joke on Shinra's part or if it was genuine. The calm the doctor was demonstrating convinced him it was the second option. "I am sorry, Shinra."

Smiling sadly, Shinra shook his head. "You said that, but you just didn't care, didn't you?"

Izaya was so stunned by the affirmation he let a few seconds go by without responding. Now he couldn't reply without Shinra thinking he was lying. So he said nothing. Eventually, Shinra sighed and put his glasses back up his nose.

"So, Izaya-kun. Tell me. What have you been up to in these past six months?" His demeanour surprised Izaya, but he interpreted it as a sign the doctor wanted everything to go back to normal.

Izaya told him everything, then Shinra explained his side of it, too.

He explained how Celty and he were closer than ever; how the three kids from Raira were closer than ever and how Shizuo and Varona were closer than ever.

He told Izaya about how his sisters were often wandering in Ikebukuro and messing with Shizuo, knowing the blond wouldn't hurt them.

He smiled while recalling how Akane was always fanning over Shizuo, which mean the latter was followed by some member of the Awakusu Kai on a regular basis.

He mentioned Shizuo a lot, but it didn't bother Izaya. And then...

Shinra explained him how Celty was missing all the errands Izaya used to give her; how Simon always looked nostalgic when a client ordered ootoro and how some gang member the doctor was treating complained about the lack of good informant in town.

He told him the number of suicides in the area had augmented. ("What does that have to do with me, Shinra?" "Nothing, Izaya-kun, nothing.")

He smiled while recalling how Shizuo was always startled when he saw black-haired man with a fur coat in the crowd.

He mentioned how Izaya was missed a lot, and that bothered Izaya.

Before leaving, Shinra kidnapped one of Izaya's phones while leaving his own. He told the informant he was going to call, and if he was ignored, he would send Shizuo here.

Though he was unimpressed, Izaya nonetheless nodded. Shinra smiled at him. "I'm still angry, you know. You are going to have to make it up to me." The informant nodded again, and Shinra left satisfied.

Forever tired, Izaya rolled his chair in front of his window. The winter sun was setting, slowly colouring the sky with shades of purple and orange.

He was feeling weird. In the past week, he had had more visitors than in six months. Some of them were bad encounters, like with Shizuo and Fenrir, but others were good, like his sisters and Shinra. Although...

The second time around with Shizuo wasn't that bad. The brute was unpredictable as ever, but apparently seeing his nemesis in a wheelchair was all it took to make him hold his temper.

Izaya thought about their fight. Their last fight, the one that was supposed to end it all.

He had wanted to die. Or rather, he was supposed to die. He had decided it was a fight to death, and dying was just the endgame for one of them. But no, Shizuo, like always, didn't follow the plan. He allowed him to live, but Izaya had nothing to live for anymore.

So he decided, since he should be dead, he would live like he was. But then… Then Shiki came. His sisters came. Akane came.

He had tried so hard to be an empty shell. He had tried his best to distance himself from them. But they came and wormed their way through his walls, took them down with something as simple as a "I was relieved" and a "Take care of yourself" and a "I decided today I would be" and a "I just want to talk".

But none of them understood. They truly didn't. Izaya didn't mind his legs. He didn't mind his sometimes monotonous, quotidian work. No, he minded this feeling.

This feeling, the one he was experiencing right now.

The one that constricted his chest, making it difficult to breath.

The one that made his eyes sting, and his heart ache.

The one called love.

Fenrir had been wrong. Tsukumoya had been wrong. Shinra had been wrong. They were all wrong. Izaya could love. He was capable of it. He just chose not to, except in this ethereal, egoistic and abstract way he loved humanity. But now…

Now, as he remembered them, as he remembered their face full of things he couldn't bear to name, he knew he loved them. Each one of them in a different way, including Shizuo.

And if a single tear rolled down his cheek, he pretended not to notice. He just watched the sunset, as beautiful as ever.

* * *

TBC

Also, important, I need a beta ! Mine can't correct me anymore so I need someone else for the next chapters ! I already asked five people, but none of them answered me, so... Here I ask !

If you want to, don't hesitate to contact me (in a review or by PM) ! I mainly need someone for spelling and grammar. I won't post the next chapter if it's not beta'ed (there would be too much mistakes and weird formulation), so I'm sorry if my updates are slow ^^


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone ^^ Here's chapter two!

Your response to the first chapter made me very happy ^^ Thank you for all your review/fav/follow, I didn't expect so much of them XD

And I found a beta. Big thanks to **Sweet-Strawberry-09** , who beta'd this chapter (she is great :3) ^^ I'm glad so many of you proposed, though!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Outside Interference - 02**

* * *

There were whispers, glances and laughs. Izaya ignored them, a pensive smile on his face. Internally though, he was quite nervous. He hadn't been in a big crowd in such a long time, thus he was experiencing a bout of social anxiety.

He was in front of Raira, waiting for his sisters near the entrance of the school.

It was a test.

It was the first time he came back to Ikebukuro since the fight, and he knew he had been recognised on his way here. He was in a wheelchair, but his fur coat, red eyes and raven hair betrayed him. He had expected to be attacked, but nobody had even tried to get close to him.

So far, the test was successful. Izaya had decided this: since he couldn't help but feel, since he couldn't help but be alive, then he would see if the world wanted him to stay that way. Hence, why he was putting himself in such a dangerous situation.

Izaya wasn't sure how he would react if at the end of the day he was still alive, but for one, he wouldn't have to feel as if he ought to die because of his lost fight against Shizuo anymore.

"Iza-nii!"

Izaya looked up to see Mairu running toward him, with Kururi following more slowly behind. He nearly sighed in relief to have some company other than the strangers surrounding him.

"Came… (You really came!)" Kururi smiled. Mairu nodded vigorously, pleased as well.

They probably thought he wouldn't come, despite having called them in the morning to warn them. After all, he hasn't left a three mile radius from his flat in over six months. His sisters were surely relieved their big brother was finally moving around.

"Of course I came. Didn't I say so?"

Mairu just beamed at him and, in a familiar motion, settled behind him to push his wheelchair. Izaya was quite relieved for that, because his arms were still hurting from his trip here. He must be a bit masochist for not calling a cab and taking the train instead.

"Orihara-san?"

Izaya smirked, the kind of smirk he used to have when something interesting came his way, but only Kururi saw it. By the time Mairu had turned his chair around to face his interlocutor, his face was neutral.

In front of him stood Mikado Ryugamine. A few meters away was Kida Masaomi and Anri Sonohara, both glaring at him.

Izaya had a feeling this was going to happen. They were in the same school as his sisters, after all, and there was only one exit.

"Ah, Mikado-kun, long time no see!"

Leaning aside, Izaya smiled and waved to the other two, who seemed to recoil at the gesture, hissing like cats. Amused, the informant went back to Mikado, but to his surprise, the teenager seemed amused as well.

"We thought you were dead, when we heard about the fight."

"Well, as you can see, it's not the case."

Izaya noticed his sisters were unnaturally quiet, especially Mairu. He wondered why; really, he never knew what they were thinking.

Meanwhile, Mikado eyed his wheelchair, biting his lower lips. The kid was too polite to ask.

"Indeed, Mikado-kun, as you've surely noticed, I can't walk anymore. I'm not dead, but it was a close call."

Mikado nodded. "I'm glad to see you're as well as possible given the circumstance."

Izaya smiled in return. The teenager was still quite interesting; the informant would have thought he hated him by now, but apparently, it wasn't the case. On the contrary to his two friends over there...

Feeling a bit mischievous, Izaya decided to test the waters. "Tell me, Mikado-kun, is your life boring?"

Mikado looked at him, with _that_ look. The one that indicated he would do anything to escape the normalcy of his life. But then, the look melted away, replaced by a warm smile. "Delightfully so, Orihara-san."

He changed, after all, Izaya thought.

"Mikado! Don't talk with him!" Masaomi called from afar, looking angry. Anri nodded in support.

Mikado let out a nervous laugh, and Izaya decided to cut the conversation short. One day or another, if his survived his test, he would have to deal with those two kids. But now was not the time. "It was nice to see you, Mikado-kun, but I think your friends are not as enthusiastic. Mairu, if you wouldn't mind?"

Fortunately, his sister obeyed without complaint. With a 'Bye bye, Mikado-kun!', she turned around. Izaya barely heard the 'Come back soon' from Mikado as he left.

"Nii... trouble... (You're always causing trouble, Iza-nii.)" Kururi observed.

Izaya wasn't sure if it was a reproach or not. "Don't worry, Kururi. The kid won't be as easily manipulated as before. He has grown. And anyway, I can't mess around with the Dollars anymore."

Kururi gave him a look, but Izaya stuck out his tongue at her. She pulled a 'seriously' face, and the informant chuckled. Kururi then proceeded to ignore him, but Izaya tickled her, as he was at the perfect level to do so.

Few knew that she was ticklish, but Izaya was her brother after all. She jumped out of his reach, then at him, but Izaya gave a tug to his wheels, slipping out of Mairu inattentive grasp and avoiding Kururi.

The girl glared at him as he turned around, readying himself for the next attack. Mairu watched as they played around, Izaya dodging Kururi each time she launched herself at him. However, she finally managed to corner him and tickled him mercilessly.

The three Orihara siblings were extremely ticklish. They used to do tournaments when they were younger, where the one that managed not to laugh was the winner. This time, Kururi won, since Izaya couldn't help but giggle at her treatment.

Then the pain hit. Izaya hiccupped, choking himself on his laugh. Kururi froze, and her eyes widened when a cry of pain escaped her brother's mouth. She retreated immediately, bumping against Mairu, who was just behind her.

They watched worriedly as Izaya tried to compose himself. While struggling against the tickles, he had given a few kick in the air, and that wasn't good at all. He painfully replaced his legs in the right position on the footboard.

"Nii..." Kururi said, and Mairu hugged her from behind.

"It's okay, Kururi. It's nice fooling around a bit from time to time, don't you think?" Izaya smiled at them, trying to reassure them that everything was okay. "Let's just not get too carried away, alright?"

Kururi nodded and gave him a kiss on the check. Izaya took advantage of the occasion to tickle her a bit, and she flinched away, pouting. Mairu shook her head with a smile, and took place behind Izaya once again.

As they got going again, Izaya realised a few bystanders had stopped to watch them. Some of them looked at them oddly, and the informant wondered if they were some of the ones who knew who he was. Anyway, he didn't pay much attention to them.

"So where do you want to get lunch, Iza-nii?" Mairu asked as they arrived to a crossroad.

Izaya pointed left. "Russian sushi," he replied curtly. He wasn't going to spare himself anything today. It was a test.

Kururi, beside him, nodded. "Often... Lunch... (We often go get lunch here.)".

"The fish is divine, right? Especially ootoro!" Izaya exclaimed, but got no other reaction from Kururi. The accident from earlier had darkened her mood.

When the restaurant came into view, his sisters switched places and Mairu ran ahead into the shop. Simon wasn't outside, so he was probably sitting clients. When he entered inside (Kururi carefully manoeuvring the stairs), the 'Welcome' he got from Dennis was the same he remembered, like the rest of the place. It hadn't changed much.

Simon was with Dennis, and Izaya didn't see any surprise in their expression. Mairu must have warned them.

Simon still had that too big smile on his face. "Orihara-kun! It has been a while! You should come eat sushi more often! Sushi is good for health."

Izaya chuckled. "I will try, Simon, I will try."

The Russian nodded and led him to a table next to the bar. He took off one chair and put it behind another table, allowing Kururi to place Izaya in the empty space left. His sisters sat in front of him and Simon waited until they were settled.

"So, Orihara-kun, ootoro for you is it?"

Izaya nodded with a smile. "Like you need to ask."

Mairu exchanged a look with Kururi, who gave her silent agreement. "We will take the basic menu with salmon, Simon-san!"

The Russian nodded and carried their order to Dennis. He gave them some drinks while they waited.

"Simon," Izaya called in Russian, as the man was about to step outside. "I believe I owe you a thanks."

Simon looked at him strangely, but didn't seem surprised. "What for, Orihara-kun? You don't have to thank me for the sushi, we are a sushi restaurant!"

"For saving my life," Izaya clarified. Simon fell silent, and his sisters eyed them curiously, probably grasping the gist on the conversation since they had learned a bit of Russian from their brother. "When I was fighting Shizu-chan and Varona was about to shoot me, you threw a grenade which allowed Kine-san to whisk me away."

Izaya had been mad at him before, for didn't allowing the fight to come to its natural conclusion, but it would be hypocritical if he still harboured such feeling now.

Simon looked at him, and Izaya was reminded of that time when he had punched him, after the conclusion his scheme concerning the Dollars and the Yellow scarves. He often wondered what Simon thought of him, since he never let his opinion show. Maybe he felt contempt, for the evil informant sending girls to their death. Or maybe it was indifference, aside from the politeness due to his client's status.

"You're welcome, Orihara-kun." Simon smiled. "Fighting is bad, after all."

Izaya nodded and Simon gave them their plate, before making his way outside. When Izaya turned back to his sisters, they were watching him with a matching peculiar expression.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, Iza-nii, nothing." Mairu sang to annoy him, but Izaya just smiled. Kururi hesitated a little, looking at his sister then at him before she spoke. "But... never told..."

Izaya knew exactly what she meant.

"I figured you already knew all the sordid details, given the number of videos and reportage that have been released on the internet."

"Yeah, of course," Mairu confirmed. "But it didn't come from you. We want you to tell us with your own words."

"Do I really have to?" he complained.

Kururi nodded and Mairu flashed him her brightest smile. Izaya sighed and ate a piece of ootoro.

"Well, first, let it be said that I had done nothing wrong this time. It was this woman impersonating Yadogiri Jinnai who kidnapped Shinra, captured Celty and hired Varona. Shizu-chan's anger was wrongly directed at me. Just because I happened to be there..."

His sisters gave him a look and he chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Maybe I tried to bury him under tons of iron, but it was after!" Izaya frowned. "In retrospective, I think he was mad because his precious kohai sprained her ankle. But come on, what's a sprain in the grand scheme of things? It's not really threatening, just bothersome. I mean, you can still fight when you have a sprain, it's painful, but manageable. I managed to lost Shizu-chan once before even though he had broken my left leg..."

His sisters, in sync, narrowed their eyes at him. Izaya cleared his throat, focusing back on the subject.

"Anyway, my goal was still to piss him off, so it worked admirably. I lured him into the building, and told Mikage to guard the stairs. I didn't want anyone to interfere, especially not this Varona."

Izaya scrunched his face in disdain. For all the delicious humanity she was displaying, he couldn't find it in himself to find Varona interesting in the least.

"I had a plan, but as usual, Shizu-chan didn't care. It involved choking him to death and finishing him off with an explosion, but it didn't work that well. He managed to avoid it all, only damaging his arm in the process."

Those details obviously weren't known, seeing how his sisters leaned forward with curiosity. They didn't seem perturbed at all by the fact that their big brother was telling them how he planned to murder someone.

"Then, Shizu-chan grabbed the base of the iron structure I was standing on. He dismantled it, making me fall, and while I was readying myself for the impact of the landing, he hit me with a big iron bar, sending me flying into a building."

Izaya fell silent for a while, eating his ootoro and remembering. If his sisters weren't who they were, they would surely have told him he didn't have to keep going. But they were too curious to care about something as irrelevant as their brother's discomfort.

"I guess I blacked out for a while after that. When I woke up, Shizu-chan wasn't far behind, so I ran. From there, it was our familiar chase, me running and him throwing heavy things at me."

Izaya didn't talk about his injuries. His sisters knew enough about their consequences anyway.

"But then I got distracted. It's a fatal mistake when you're fighting Shizu-chan, to get distracted. He punched me right in the face, but I managed to protect myself with my arms."

His sisters nodded, probably recalling the first time they saw him after the fight, confined in a bed with his casts still on.

"He was about to do it. I knew he would have done it. I was defenceless; one punch and he would have killed me. But Varona had to intervene..."

Izaya sighed, wondering if he was still angry at her for that. He decided he would sort out his feelings at the end of his test. No point in doing it before.

"And I just told the rest. Simon threw a flashing grenade, and the next things I remember, I was in Kine-san's car."

There were still ootoro left on his plate, but Izaya was full.

"Happy?" he asked his sisters, a bit bitterly. They were so annoying sometime.

"Thank you, Iza-nii! There is so much crap on the Internet, the details weren't clear." Mairu looked genuinely happy indeed, which made Izaya roll his eyes.

But then he wondered... Was the fact they didn't ask sooner their way of sparing him?

"Are you both done?" he asked, eyeing their empty plate.

"Waiting for you..." Kururi responded.

"I'm already full. Let's ask for the bill."

He waved at Dennis, who nodded. His sisters let him pay for them – he was the one who invited them after all.

"You are going to take us back home, aren't you?" Mairu said once outside, already pushing his wheelchair in the right direction.

Izaya knew any attempt to refuse wouldn't be acknowledged, so he resigned himself. It was a waste of time for his test, but what else could he do? He needed a distraction.

Fortunately, an occasion presented itself a few minutes later.

Izaya saw the van pass by them, and smiled when it suddenly stopped, its wheels skidding against the pavement as his conductor violently hit the brakes.

Izaya raised a hand, silently asking Mairu to stop. She did, and also eyed the van with amusement as it went backward and brutally stopped again at their level.

A tinted window opened, and Kadota's puzzled face appeared.

"Yo, Dotachin!" Izaya cheerfully greeted.

"Izaya?!" Kadota had his mouth hanging open, like he couldn't believe his eyes. "You're… alive?"

"Very much so."

Kadota stared at him, unable to wipe the surprise from his face.

The side door of the van opened all of the sudden, and two figure jumped in the air, landing right in front of Izaya.

"He is alive! I knew it, he is alive!"

"Calm down, Karisawa-san! It doesn't mean you were right."

"Yes it does! Shizaya exists! Of course Shizu-Shizu couldn't kill Iza-Iza, their love is too strong!"

"Not with the yaoi thing again…"

"But look, look, Yuma-chi, his wheelchair is so cool! It's like those main character with a disability who, when the final boss is coming, miraculously recover!"

"In this case, wouldn't it be more like the antagonist who was defeated and end up in a wheelchair because the hero didn't want to kill him and become a murderer?"

"No, Yuma-chi, you don't get it! Shizu-Shizu and Iza-Iza are in love! There is no villain in this story."

"But wouldn't Shizuo be there to take care of Izaya if that was the case?"

"Ah, don't ruin it! He is just taking a break, because Iza-Iza needed to pass some time with his sisters!"

Izaya listened to them with an amused smile, but Kadota was mostly annoyed. "Stop it, you two!" He sighed when they complained, but at least, they reported their attention on Izaya's sisters.

"So, you didn't die," Kadota stated, looking at Izaya.

"It's infuriating how you all sound like a broken record."

Kadota shook his head. "Okay, then, how have you been?"

"And here comes the broken record again."

Kadota gave him a look, but Izaya blinked innocently. He could see, from the corners of his eyes, his sisters engrossed in conversation with Yumasaki and Karisawa.

"Can you do something about that?" Kadota asked, pointing at his wheelchair.

"Ah ah, no, Dotachin, I'm afraid it's permanent." It was a lie, but Kadota had no way to tell. Moreover, Izaya wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"I see… Shizuo…"

"… swung me into a building with a giant iron pole." Izaya nodded happily, making Kadota wince.

"Right…"

The conversation went to a still and they both glanced at Erika and Mairu, who were giggling like the teenagers they were. Kururi watched them without any kind of expression, while Walker was putting his head in his hand.

"Do you need a lift?" Kadota asked then, kindly.

Izaya arched an eyebrow. "It would be great if you could take my sisters home. I promised them a lunch, but they managed to force me to come home with them, those little parasites."

Kadota smiled. "Okay, sure, we can do that. But don't you want us to take you somewhere?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Kadota looked at him with a frown, but he didn't insist. "Give me a call soon, okay?"

Izaya nodded, not letting his confusion show. Kadota and he weren't that close, as they only talked when they encountered each other in the street. It wasn't enough to count him as a friend in Izaya's book, but apparently, Kadota had lower standards.

Obviously, his sisters weren't too happy with his decision. They wanted him to come with them, but that wouldn't do for his test. He didn't want his sisters to get in trouble because of him, even if he knew they were more than capable of defending themselves.

And also... He didn't want to see that house again.

He managed to convince them by promising to see them again very soon. He waved them goodbye, and watched as the van disappeared around the corner of the street.

Izaya stayed where he was for a bit, thinking. He was a little tired, but it was early in the afternoon, and his test didn't stop before at least 8 PM. It was an arbitrary number, but Izaya didn't feel like waiting until midnight, when there wouldn't be any more train to take him back to Asakusa.

So he had a bit over five hours left. He decided to wander around a bit, and to stop every hour in a café to rest a little. He killed the time by observing his humans, doing some shopping (but he didn't buy anything, just looked) and sipping coffee.

Two hours passed like that, and Izaya was in a fairly deserted part of Ikebukuro when he noticed. They weren't trying to be very discrete – or they were just very unskilled. Either way, Izaya decided the confrontation was inevitable. Maybe it would be the conclusion of his test...

He took a sharp turn into an empty alleyway and sensed the surprise of his trackers. However, they quickly followed, not pretending to be innocent passer-byers anymore. Izaya turned around to face them, and was disappointed to discover their faces was unknown to him.

Their grins were unpleasant. The turn of their mouth wasn't very sharp, and their teeth were dirty. The glint in their eyes was dim, and the knifes they were holding dull.

Izaya sighed softly. He didn't want to be killed by third-zone thug like these. He had imagined some classy yakuza (not unlike Shiki) coming at him with guns and politeness. Not this...

"Orihara-san," one of the nameless thug whispered. "It's finally time for us to take our revenge!"

Izaya thought hard, but he really didn't remember them. He returned a smirk of his own, hoping they would recognize a real threatening smile when they saw one. "I will have to ask you to take a ticket and wait at the end of the line."

On of the man, who looked like the leader of the two, frowned and took a menacing step forward. "You realise the situation you are in, Orihara-san?"

When Izaya failed to respond, just looking at them with disdain, the second man interrupted. "I don't think he remembers us, Yashi."

Izaya examined the one that just spoke closely, and he realized, with surprise, that he seemed almost reluctant. Was it his reputation or the wheelchair? He could use that.

"I bet he remembers Fang at least. It wouldn't do if he didn't know who finally managed to beat him." The Yashi person smirked, and indeed, Izaya remembered Fang.

It was a minor gang which he dismantled about two years ago. Their leader, despite being a regular client, had refused to pay him once, and Izaya had been forced to take drastic measures. After all, it wouldn't do if other started to mimic him.

Izaya wasn't someone to mess with. For all he knew, Fang's leader was now in Russia, forced to work as a slave.

"I agree, it's very brave and honourable to take on someone unable to defend himself."

Yashi snorted, but as Izaya expected, the other man took a defensive stance. He was uncomfortable. Eyes sharpening, Izaya added: "But then again, you don't seem to be the kind of people who have any honour or respect."

Yashi tensed, holding out his knife and getting ready to attack, but the other drew back a little. Izaya smiled. If it was only one, he could manage.

Yashi lunged forward with a cry, and Izaya went to meet him, much to his attacker's surprise. He leaned aside, ignoring the pain that shot through his legs and up his back at the sudden move. The blade grazed his shoulder, cutting the clothes but not the skin. Izaya produced his own blade and cut a few slash up the thug's arm and front, making him cry out in pain. He then gave a pull to his wheels, circling the man and coming back in front of him.

Yashi's knife clattered to the floor, and he took a step back. His friend was watching with wide eyes.

"The fuck?" The wounded man swore, trying to put some pressure on the cuts to prevent them from bleeding too much.

Izaya marvelled at them, his humans, so weak and impressionable. They wouldn't stand a chance against him if it weren't for his legs, and yet, they still came, persuaded they could take him out. But now they realised he could still fight, they didn't know how to react.

Frankly, Izaya hoped they would just ran away, because he doubted he could pull another stunt like that. If they attacked him again, he wouldn't be able to come out unscathed, especially if there were two of them.

But, wasn't this the point of his test?

No, Izaya decided. If he had an escape route, he was meant to take it. That's why, when he saw the thugs weren't going to run and instead prepared for another strike, he stood. Literally, he planted his feet on the ground, and stood.

The two man watched him, bewildered. He arched an eyebrow. "What? Did you really think I was injured? Or better yet, did you really think I would come back to Ikebukuro if I was incapable of defending myself?"

"You bastard, you're not..." They were hesitant, but it wasn't enough.

Izaya took a step forward and flicked his blade open and close, open and close. "So? Care to resume our fight?"

They swallowed audibly, then scampered off like frightened rabbit. Izaya waited until they were out of sight before collapsing, hitting the ground hard.

...

...

He must have passed out for a while, because the sun was setting when he managed to open his eyes and focus his vision.

The pain had spread from his legs to his back, and while he had escaped most of it while he was unconscious, there was now a sharp ache in all his body, which, he knew, wouldn't go away before a day or two.

Fortunately, nobody had found him, and the alleyway was still empty. The thugs hadn't come back with back-ups. Izaya was lucky. Maybe his test wasn't doomed to fail, after all...

His clothes were a bit dirty, because an alleyway wasn't the most sanitary place, but at least, he hadn't fallen in a puddle of vomit or something equally disgusting. He tried to dust off the most of it, but couldn't do anything about the wetness.

Getting back on his wheelchair was hard, but he managed to do it. He mainly used his arms, because his legs were in no state to support his weight again. Izaya imagined Shinra's face if he told him that he stood for almost thirty second.

He wondered if he could pop by and ask for some painkiller... And maybe a ride back. The night was falling, and he was quite tired. He didn't feel like walking (as a figure of speech) back to his flat. Taking the bus or the train was bothersome as well.

But going to Shinra... The doctor was ambiguous during his visit. Izaya didn't know what to think of him anymore. Were they still friends? It seemed like it... But could he come, just like that, unannounced?

Izaya finally shrugged. Since when did he care about social convention? Well, he didn't. If Shinra didn't want him to visit, he will just have to kick him out.

He therefore began to take the familiar path through Ikebukuro that lead to Shinra's building. He wasn't in a hurry; if it wasn't for the pain, he would still be wandering around Ikebukuro until the end of his test.

After a while, Izaya looked at the sky, and he suddenly felt the urge to climb a building and admire the city, like he used to. Sadly, it wasn't an option anymore. Albeit…

Wasn't there an abandoned building, not far from here, with construction ramp all the way to the roof? But it was six months ago… Well, it didn't hurt to try.

Izaya glanced at one of his cell phones. One hour left for his test. He could go to Shinra after. The pain was... painful, but not really threatening to his health. It was just in his head. Like everything else.

Luckily, the building was exactly how he remembered it, and he managed to climb to the roof, with sore arms as the only inconvenience.

However, it quickly appeared that the roof was already occupied. The first clue was the sound of crying, and then Izaya saw the shadow standing at the edge of the roof, hunched over the void.

He almost left. Almost. But a deeply buried memory flashed before his eyes, and he rolled forward.

"You're pathetic," he said to the girl, for she was a girl. From behind, Izaya only saw her unnaturally red hair, which reached her hips and covered her entire back.

When he spoke, she flinched, but didn't turn around. "Go away." Her voice was raspy, as if she had used it to scream for hours.

"You are going to kill yourself." A statement. "Does it matter if I am here to witness it?"

The girl curled up even more on herself. "I guess not." She sniffed. Still not turning around, she took a shaky breath. "But I don't really want to die."

"Really? Then why are you standing here? Admiring the view perhaps?"

She stayed silent for a while, swallowing a few time, but still crying. "I'm broken. He... He broke me. I don't have anything to live for anymore, so my only option is to die, right?" She sounded like she was wanted a reassurance.

Izaya snorted. "Like I said, pathetic. Running away from a little pain like that..."

The laugh in his voice was the last straw.

She turned around, eyes wide with anger. "What do you even know about pai –" And then she saw his wheelchair, and fell very silent.

Izaya smirked, but his voice was serious when he spoke. "You are not broken. You're crying, and you only cry when you heart is breaking. Once it's broken, there is no more tears to shed. It's not too late."

She was puzzled, and didn't know to respond. Even in the darkness, Izaya noticed how blue her eyes were. A deep blue, with a darker ring around the edge. She finally settled for a: "You don't know what you are talking about." The hesitant look she gave his legs was almost funny.

Izaya sighed. "Well, then, I will stop bothering you." He turned around, not missing from the corner of his eyes how she extended an arm toward him without thinking. He went to the other side of the roof, and was glad to see the city was as beautiful as ever, full of lights and noises. He couldn't climb on the railing, but it was enough.

The girl had followed him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, standing beside him.

"Well, I should probably precise, I'm not here to kill myself."

She frowned, and looked at him. "Then why?"

"I just wanted to look at the city, and the access to the rooftop was easy."

She glanced back at the ramp, her gaze grazing his wheelchair, then at the city.

...

Ten minutes later, when Izaya went back down the building, she came with him.

Once on the ground, he glanced at her. "Even the fact you changed your mind is pathetic."

She sighed. "Why are you so mean?"

"Why do you want me to be kind? Are you expecting me to feel sympathy, or even pity, toward your suicidal self?" Izaya looked up at her, noticing even in the dark the light blush that settled on her cheeks.

"Most people would," she grumpily replied.

But Izaya wasn't most people. He understood suicide, and she didn't have what it took to kill herself.

Humming softly, he began to move down the street. Predictably, she followed him, by curiosity or loneliness, he didn't know. "Suicide itself isn't pathetic," he announced, because he somewhat wanted her to understand.

"But the one who do it are?" she asked, sarcastic.

"You just need one thing," Izaya went on, ignoring her. "A strong resolution. A will strong enough to not waver against pain, supplication or people who knows how to wield words like me. If you have that, then you have respect for what you want to do."

She stayed silent for a while, and Izaya was sure if he looked at her, she would have a thoughtful expression on her face. "The reasons do not count?"

Izaya snorted. "You have as much reason to die as there is to live. It matters not if you choose to die because you broke your pen, as long as you are able to get through with it."

"Your way of thinking is really disturbed."

He flashed a smile at her, then noticed she stopped crying. "You're not crying anymore. Are you broken now?"

She pressed a hand against her chest. "No, I'm not." She looked sure of herself.

"How interesting," Izaya commented, but he realised he had lost interest in her. They were silent for a moment.

"Who are you?" she asked then.

"An observant," he told her, a line he had served a ridiculous number of people before.

"You didn't just observe me," she pointed out.

"I love to watch humans, but sometimes they need a little push in the right direction." This was also a rehearsed line.

"And I not killing myself was the right direction." She was puzzled, but, after all, who wouldn't be? Nobody understood why he loved observing them so much, watching their every movement and tricking them into difficult situations.

Izaya shrugged. "It didn't matter to me if you had jumped or not. I just wanted to taunt you, and show you how pathetic you are."

He felt the glare, even without looking at her. "You don't have many friends, do you?"

Izaya thought about the last two weeks of his life, and smiled. "I don't know about that. Apparently, it's not up to me."

She looked at him strangely, but didn't comment. "So, who are you?"

"Someone you will not see again after tonight."

They parted ways soon after.

…

He was fifteen minutes away from Shinra, just fifteen minutes away from the end of his test, when they struck. This time, it was efficiency; it was discipline and it was guns. In a matter of seconds, he was encircled by five yakuza. The kind with suit and polished nails.

Izaya recognised them immediately. It was a gang from Shinjuku, the Crow. It was a little surprising, because there weren't from Ikebukuro, and Izaya expected to be assaulted by locals. He didn't know the word of his presence here would spread this fast.

One yakuza, who seemed to be the leader, took a step forward. His gun was resting against his thigh.

"I believe you know why we are here for, Orihara-san."

Izaya smirked, even if it felt like he shouldn't. It was a serious situation, and its solemnity rendered his mocking smile out of place. "Indeed I do."

The yakuza nodded, and his face was at least in tune with what he was about to do. All grim and cold. "No hard feelings, then. It's just business."

"But of course. It's not like I will be able to hold any grudge after that."

"You're taking this surprisingly well." There was some surprise in his voice.

"I had time to come to term with it." Six whole months.

"It's easier for us, then." The leader nodded toward his underlings, who took a step back, before raising his gun. "Goodbye, Orihara-san."

Izaya watched as the yakuza pointed his gun at him in a slow motion. Everything looked sluggish, like in a movie, leaving plenty of time for Izaya's thought to race through his head.

That was it. He was going to die. Once the trigger would be pulled, the bullet would pierce through his skin, his bones, his brain, shattering everything inside. Blood would spill and splash onto his killer's face. And he would be dead.

Izaya viewed the scene almost perfectly, him sagging into his wheelchair, bit of gore splattered onto his headboard.

The image didn't stir any particular feeling in him. He idly wondered if he could somehow save himself, but he didn't see any solution. Well, then…

Should he close his eyes or not? It would be seen as cowardly, but it was kind of a tradition, wasn't it? He would close his eyes, waiting for the blow, but it would not happen and when he would open his eyes, someone would have come to save him...

No, what was he thinking? There wasn't anyone who would bother saving him (now, now, you know that's not quite true...). And even if there was, he shouldn't wish for it. He had made his decision: he would accept the result of his test, whatever it was.

He felt the cold of the gun against his forehead, and nearly rolled his eyes at the dramatic pose. But he couldn't really berate the yakuza for that, being himself prone to show off.

Izaya finally decided to keep his eyes open, and watched as the finger of the yakuza came closer to the trigger, and closer, and closer...

"OI!"

Izaya startled badly, focused as he was on his impending death. The yakuza were quicker to collect themselves and turned toward the newcomer.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Izaya blinked, flabbergasted, and watched with wide eyes as Shizuo took hold of one of the yakuza and hurled him toward two other. The three remaining fumbled with their guns, but the blond charged without hesitation and took out two more with a punch.

The last one, the leader, took advantage of his position and leaped behind Izaya, pressing the gun against his temples. That stopped Shizuo, who glared at the yakuza.

"Step back, Heiwajima-san."

Shizuo growled, but didn't move.

Izaya marvelled at what had just happened. Wasn't life interesting? Wasn't life unpredictable?

Sudden adrenaline coursing through his veins, Izaya seized the yakuza's wrist and skilfully banded it backward, making him drop the gun. A sickening crunch was heard, but the yakuza ignored the pain and took hold of his collar, trying to strangle him. Izaya struggled, but the backrest of his wheelchair prevented him from elbowing his attacker in the stomach.

Then Shizuo was there, and he grabbed the yakuza by the throat, forcing him to let go of Izaya. He sent him flying into the sky while Izaya flopped back on his wheelchair.

Around them, the rest of the yakuza shakily got back on their feet. They retrieved the two that were unconscious, before running away.

Once they were gone, Izaya turned toward Shizuo, who was panting, trying to get the anger out of his system.

"Shizu-chan... What the hell are you doing?" His tone was neutral, but his eyes were blazing. Shizuo didn't respond, frowning down at him.

"Maybe you couldn't see well in the dark, but it's me, you know, Izaya-kun, the one that should stay away from Ikebukuro..." That didn't get any reaction either, and Izaya internally calmed himself. Shizuo saved his life. He couldn't deny it, but the thought still made his heart ache. He didn't know if he was relieved or not; if he was happy or not.

"Did a cat catch your tongue?" He kept on teasing, falling into the familiar pattern and shoving all the feelings that weren't amusement deep down to examine later.

"You don't take on someone who can't fight back," Shizuo finally said, grumpily. He looked to the side, his gaze tracing Izaya's legs before coming back to his face.

The informant gave him a smile. "Who said I couldn't fight back?" He threw a knife at Shizuo, aiming right in the middle of his forehead. The blond barely dodged it, getting a cut on the side of his face.

"Stop it, flea!" he yelled, annoyed but not pissed off enough to strike back.

Laughing, Izaya threw him all the knives he kept hidden in his sleeves, making Shizuo dance as he tried to avoid them. He was getting a bit carried away, but it was fun, and he didn't even feel his legs or the pain in his arms.

"Why would I? It's just like old time, isn't it? Aren't you going to chase me around?"

Shizuo stilled at that, eyes narrowing in what must have been anger, and one of the knifes cut his arm. "Of course not, you stupid louse! We can't do that anymore!"

This time, it was Izaya who froze, and he drew his hand back on his lap. "Yeah... I guess I can't do that anymore." He gave Shizuo yet another smile, but it was sad and the blond saw it clearly. He didn't say anything in response, and an awkward silence settled between them.

They were both remembering better times, when they were running around the city, Izaya defying gravity, while Shizuo pushed the limit of his strength again and again.

"What are you doing here?" Shizuo asked then, with an edge in his voice Izaya didn't bother to decipher. The night was dark, but the moon was high and shining light on their faces, the shadows playing with their hair.

"Well, obviously, getting rescued by you," Izaya sarcastically said, because he didn't want to tell Shizuo about his test, or anyone really. And that's what he was doing, getting rescued like a disabled damsel in distress by a knight in a bartender suit.

"Stop deflecting, flea!"

Izaya sighed. "I was just rolling around, Shizu-chan, when some yakuza attacked me." He made it sound so innocent, adding just the right amount of recalled surprise, but Shizuo didn't fall for it.

"Makes me wonder why," he replied dryly.

It wasn't a question, but Izaya responded anyway. "To get revenge, undoubtedly."

Shizuo glared at him. "If you have so many enemies, why come here?"

"Who knows, Shizu-chan, who knows." Izaya thought his elusive answer would annoy the blond, but Shizuo seemed to have some kind of epiphany, because his eyes cleared, then darkened, and finally narrowed.

"Are you suicidal or something?" The question caught Izaya off guard. What was Shizuo talking about now?

"Why are you saying that?" He asked before Shizuo could notice something was wrong.

"Well, coming here on your own, like that, with so many people who hate you... It's like you have a death wish," he said it very matter-of-factly, and it unnerved Izaya.

Of course he didn't want to die. It was true that his test could look like an elaborated suicide attempt but that wasn't the case. Was it? He wanted his test to succeed, but, on the other hand, he hadn't really struggled against the yakuza before Shizuo showed up.

"I don't," he said, softly, very softly, because he wanted to voice it, to deny it. He didn't know if Shizuo heard him, because the blond kept looking at him, like he was waiting for something.

Suddenly, Izaya straightened, deciding he was done for the night. "If you have nothing to add, I think I will get going." Without looking at Shizuo, he turned around and moved forward, out of the alleyway and into the street. And of course, the blond followed him.

He stayed a few paces behind, and Izaya didn't bother turning around to see what face he was making. It didn't take too long for Shizuo to notice where the informant was heading.

"Are you going to Shinra?"

Izaya didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge the question.

"Why are you going to Shinra?" Shizuo was insistent, and Izaya realised he wouldn't let it go if he didn't at least get an answer.

"None of your business, Shizu-chan. I do what I want." Shizuo grunted something, but Izaya didn't pay attention. The silence resumed.

"You didn't thank me." The blond had caught up to him, walking by his side, and Izaya looked up at him, puzzled by the statement.

"I beg your pardon?" Shizuo had an arrogant smile on his face, and Izaya wanted to wipe it off with acid. Or maybe with a kiss.

"I saved you. You didn't think me."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "And I won't, Shizu-chan. Stop with the wishful thinking. I told you, I could have taken care of them myself. Your 'help' was unnecessary – and unwanted."

Shizuo frowned at him. "I still want a thanks though."

Izaya snorted. "You aren't getting any."

"Ungrateful louse."

"Stupid protozoan," he shot back.

"Shut up."

"Shut up yourself." Izaya sped up a little, preventing Shizuo from replying anything.

However, Shizuo seemed very keen on following him, despite Izaya giving him glares and frowns every once in a while. He didn't say anything, just walked three feet behind him, cigarette in hand.

The informant wondered what was going on in Shizuo's stupid brain. Did he stay in order to protect him? No, that was preposterous. He probably wanted to go to Shinra too. But why didn't he go another way? They were in the neighbourhood, so he could easily take another road.

Izaya finally decided to ignore him completely. He wouldn't let that brute disturb him, and fortunately, he had something else to focus on: the pain.

He had overdone it, moving around all day, fighting and standing up... He was aching all over, and spike of pain randomly came. He vaguely wondered if he would have enough strength to make it to Shinra. Still at least ten minutes left...

He suddenly stopped, and Shizuo, caught off guard, nearly ran into him. "Flea?"

Izaya sighed, pressing his hands against his eyes. He was so tired, and the adrenaline he felt during the fight had long worn off. Maybe he could sleep at Shinra's place and go back to his flat in the morning...

But he lost his train of thoughts as his wheelchair slowly moved forward, and he soon nodded off, letting his head rest on the side of the headboard.

* * *

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Did I mention that Izaya is a very unreliable narrator? Because he is XD

By the way, the next chapter will be very short, but also on Shizuo's POV ^^

Thank you to all the people who read this story, and to my beta, Swwet-Strawberry-09 ^^

* * *

 **Outside Interference 03**

* * *

Izaya gradually woke up, still a bit sleepy. He was in a seated position, so he must have fallen asleep in his wheelchair again. It happened once in a while, since his chair was very comfy.

He opened one eye, finding himself in front of an unfamiliar table. Confused, he looked around, but it's only when he spotted Shizuo on the couch beside him that he remembered what happened.

"Oh, Izaya-kun! You're awake!"

Izaya looked up to see Shinra smiling brightly at him.

"Shinra…?"

"Himself!"

Izaya casted a glance toward Shizuo, who looked a bit too smug for the informant's taste. "How did I get here?"

"According to Shizuo, you fell asleep on your way here. So he pushed you for the rest of the ride."

"I fell asleep?" Izaya didn't really remember. Everything was a bit fuzzy around the edge after the fight with the yakuza.

"More along the lines of passing out, but yeah." Shinra sobered. "But what were you thinking?"

Izaya frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

Shinra pushed his glasses up. "First of all, your legs are in a pretty bad shape. It looks like you tried to walk, but you wouldn't do something so stupid, would you? Then, there is your arms. I think they will be all swollen tomorrow, because you seem to have overused them, causing some oedema. And I could add the fact that you look ready to keel over. You really did a number on yourself this time."

Izaya opened his mouth to retort, but Shinra kept going. "And this," he pointed at the tear in Izaya's jacket where one of the thug tried to stab him, "makes me think that you got into another fight other than the one Shizuo told me about."

Izaya felt like he was being scolded, and he probably was. "And so what if I did?"

Shinra sighed and shook his head. Shizuo snorted. "Told you he had a death wish." That made Shinra pause, and the look he gave Izaya was properly ridiculous. At least, Izaya thought so.

"I do what I want, and no, I don't want to die." Did he? "I just wanted to feel a bit normal again."

As expected, Shinra's expression softened, and Shizuo looked away. Ah, guilt, guilt, why are you so bent on tormenting me? Izaya smiled.

"Not that I want to change the subject, but, Shizu-chan, I didn't know that you were in love with me."

Shizuo choked on his own breathing, while Shinra raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know either that you felt that way toward Izaya-kun, Shizuo-kun!"

"What? No!" Shizuo sprang to his feet, his face so red it looked like a tomato. Izaya chuckled and Shinra gave the blond an indulgent smile. "I'm not in love with you, flea. What made you think that?"

"Well, Shizu-chan, you act like the main character of a story where the main protagonist falls in love with his nemesis! First you save my life, then you lovingly carry me home… When did you realise? Before or after putting me in a wheelchair?"

"Shut up, you stupid flea! I'm not in love with you. I was just trying to be nice!"

"Aww, Shizu-chan, such a tsundere! Don't worry, I know you love me deep down."

"Stop twisting my word, I fucking hat –" Shizuo abruptly fell silent and stormed out with a last glare.

"You didn't have to say that. You know he feels guilty," Shinra told him.

"Oh come on, it's the only way I can have fun with him now. He will snap out of it eventually."

"You don't snap out of feeling guilty, Izaya-kun."

"Either way, it's not really my problem." He was just pissing Shizuo off, like he always did. Using his injuries was just another way to provoke him.

"One would have thought you would grow up, after everything you have been through."

Izaya stuck his tongue out at him.

"My point exactly." Shinra gave him a defeated look and walked to the door. "Try to get some rest. Painkiller on the table." Then he vanished, probably going after Shizuo.

Izaya looked back at the table, and sure enough, there was a bottle of painkiller. He felt relief just at the sight of it. With a shaky hand (he hadn't even noticed he was shaking), he grabbed the bottle and opened the lid. There were only two pills inside, and Izaya mentally cursed Shinra for it.

However, once he swallowed the pills, and he felt the pleasing numbness crawl up his legs and wrap around his mind, he admitted that three pills would have been too much. It wasn't the same painkiller as his own.

He closed his eyes, sinking back into his wheelchair. He didn't try to stay awake, and let unconsciousness drag him away.

...

...

He woke up in a bed, with a painkiller-induced headache, but his memory was fresh and complete. His surroundings were familiar; he was in Shinra's guest bedroom. His jacket was on a chair, and he was still in his t-shirt and trousers. There was only Shiki who would undress him, after all.

And his wheelchair wasn't in sight.

Izaya felt a rush of panic, and all the air was knocked from his lungs. For a moment, he couldn't breathe, but then he blinked and fought back the dizziness that threatened to overcome him.

He took a minute to calm himself, breathing deep and slow. He waited to be himself again and to be able to think rationally.

His wheelchair wasn't here, but that didn't mean he would be trapped here forever. Shinra had probably parked it just outside the door, because there wasn't much space in the room. No reason to panic.

Izaya told himself that a few times, before considering his options. He didn't feel like shouting and he didn't know when someone would come to check on him. Seeing as his jacket was within arm's reach of the bed, he grabbed his phone, which was in one of the pockets.

In doing so, he shuffled the sheets around a bit, tangling his legs in it. Izaya actually didn't notice, his legs being mostly numb at the moment.

He dialled Shinra's phone, and listened as it ringed in the void. There was no answer. Frustrated, he tried Celty's. She didn't pick up, and that concerned him more than it annoyed him. Celty was always with her phone, and always responded in case it was an emergency. It was barely nine AM, and Izaya knew she didn't like to sleep in. Was she ignoring him on purpose? Or was she truly unable to pick up?

With a sigh, Izaya called Shiki. He, at least, picked up almost right away.

"Izaya-kun?"

Izaya let his mask crumbled. He could afford it, since no one was here to see it. His smile was so bright, so sincere, it probably would have blinded Shizuo.

"How did you guess, Shiki-san? Or are you this desperate to hear from me?"

The yakuza sighed, and Izaya honestly couldn't tell if it was from relief or irritation.

"I have your number."

"Yeah, but not this one. I have a phone especially for you – and yes, you can feel flattered. Good try, though, Shiki-san."

When Izaya had gone out the morning of the day before, he had been focused on other things than which cell phone to take, so even though he usually went out with at least three phones, he had only taken one with him.

"Well, then. You're the only one who could call me on this number, at this hour."

Izaya frowned. He glanced at the display of his phone, and it wasn't Shiki business's number he saw. It was his private one.

"I'm terribly sorry, Shiki-san. It seems I got a bit confused on which number was which."

Izaya used to call Shiki on his private phone when he was younger. He has switched to the professional one because Shiki got mad at him for calling him at ungodly hour.

"Are you alright?" The yakuza asked. He had surely heard of Izaya's walk around Ikebukuro the day before.

"I'm fine. Just one minor problem though… I got myself kidnapped, so be a dear and come rescue me!"

This time, it was definitively an irritated sigh that came through the speaker.

"You don't seem to be in much danger, Izaya-kun."

"Well, I suppose it depends on your definition of kidnapping. I am currently unable to leave my location, and someone put me in this predicament."

"What do you mean?"

Izaya wondered how much effort it took for Shiki to keep his tone neutral.

"I don't have my wheelchair." He hated the slight tremble that made his voice shake, but he couldn't help it. The idea of being left alone without the means to move terrified him.

"Where are you?" Shiki asked him, his voice laced with sudden alarm at Izaya's statement.

"At Shinra's."

The stunned silence that followed could be seen as an achievement, as it was probably one of the very few time Izaya managed to render Shiki speechless.

"Are you kidding me, Izaya-kun?" The stern voice clashed like a whip, making Izaya wince.

"The fact is, Shiki-san, that I woke up in a bed, with no way of getting out of it, and when I tried calling Shinra and Celty, they didn't respond. So yes, I am positively stuck."

"They didn't respond?" Shiki wanted to confirm.

"Nope. I know you've got the key of this place, so hurry and come get me!"

"Sometimes, Izaya-kun, I don't know why I bother to put up with you and your childish whims."

"Me neither, Shiki-san, but it's probably because you love me so much!"

Shiki hung up. Izaya made a pout. Then he settled against his pillows and waited.

He played a few games on his phone, but he couldn't help feeling bored out of his mind. He was sure Shiki was taking his time just to annoy him.

About thirty minute after the phone call, he heard muffled sounds coming from behind his door, and finally, Shiki entered the room. Izaya had never been so happy to see him in his life and even the dark expression of the yakuza didn't stop him from grinning ear to ear.

"Shiki-san! You took your time!"

"You're a bloody idiot."

Taken aback, Izaya felt his expression turn confused. "Excuse-me?"

"I just had a long conversation with Kishitani-san." Shiki said as he walked around the bed. "About what you did yesterday."

Comprehension clearing his feature, Izaya nodded. "Oh, that. It's no big deal. But did he tell you why he ignored me like that?"

Shiki was almost scowling, and Izaya felt a little proud for that. "He said you were grounded until you're better."

"But I'm fine! See, my arms didn't swell; and he said they would. They don't even hurt." To demonstrate, Izaya moved them around, and even raised a hand for a check. Shiki didn't return it, but it wasn't like the informant had big expectations that he would.

Shiki sat on the bed, crossing his legs at the ankles. Like he wasn't saying anything, Izaya insisted. "I'm really okay, you know. I don't feel pain or anything. Maybe I'm a little tired, but I can't stay in bed all day."

Shiki was still quiet, and Izaya frowned. "Shiki-san?"

"You can't feel your legs."

"Of course I can feel my..." Izaya trailed off as he realised Shiki has one hand on his left foot, which was sticking out of the sheets. He hadn't felt it.

"You didn't come to take me home, then?" He asked, changing the subject, because he didn't want to think about his legs right now.

"Kishitani-san and your sisters are throwing a surprise party."

"What?"

"Did you think they forgot?"

Izaya took a breath, because yes, he had thought they did. He even nearly did himself. "They are one day late, though."

"Apparently, they decided to let you do what you wanted yesterday, and to drag you to the party today. Why did you think they let you wander alone like that in the street?"

"You mean it was my birthday gift? I've seen better. And I don't need their permission."

Shiki shook his head. "It was completely stupid. Did you want to get killed?"

"But why do you all think that? I don't want to die. It was just a test."

Shiki raised an eyebrow, and Izaya waited for the 'What test?' but the yakuza only said: "Next time, take a bodyguard with you," and the informant was reminded of why he liked Shiki so much.

"Maybe I will hire Shizu-chan. He is, predictably, very efficient," he responded. But then he frowned. "You spoiled me the party."

Shiki gave him a look. "You don't like surprises."

"No, but you spilled the beans anyway. Shinra will be mad at you!"

Shiki got up from the bed, staring down at Izaya. "Either way, you have to stay here for at least two more hours."

"What? No! Why?"

"They don't want you to interrupt the preparation. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Supposedly, ne… And the official version is?"

"Like I said, you're a brat and you're grounded."

"Right. That's quite unfortunate. But Shiki-san will stay to entertain me, won't he?"

But the yakuza must have seen it coming because he was already at the door. "Goodbye, Izaya-kun." He closed the door behind him, cutting short to the informant's protest.

Izaya made a face, but he grew serious again when his eyes fell on his foot. He tried to move it, but all he felt was a sensation of wrongness. He couldn't have hurt himself this bad, could he? He just stood up a bit…

Well, at least, he didn't feel any pain. And it wasn't like it mattered, whether he could feel them or not, since he couldn't walk either way.

Izaya sighed, and closed his eyes for a bit. He spaced out for a couple of minutes, but then his boredom came back. How was he supposed to occupy himself for two hours?

He bit his lower lip, thinking. The room was bare, and his phone would be out of battery soon enough. And he didn't have his wheelchair. Ah, really, Shinra could be cruel, when he wanted to be. Just like Mairu.

Izaya frowned. They were throwing a party… for his birthday. When was the last time he properly celebrated it? Last year, he had forgotten. The year before, he had gone out to eat sushi with his sisters. Before that, he didn't really remember.

In the three years he spent in high school, the 4th of May, Shinra and Kadota would indulge him during the day, letting him drag them wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted. Shizuo would either come along and endure him, or leave him alone.

And before that… Didn't his mother used to make him a chocolate cake with blue powder on top of it that didn't taste anything? No, that was for the twins' birthday. Izaya shook his head. He couldn't really remember.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to get away. He didn't want them to throw him a party, or anything really. His birthday wasn't important, and it wasn't even the right day. He wanted to leave, go home, and stop being bothered by those feelings…

But he couldn't. He was stuck here. Or, so he thought, because then, his gaze landed on the window, and his eyes widened slightly. Would he dare? Why not, he was so bored, after all.

He flexed his arms. They seemed fine enough. It wasn't like Shinra, to get a diagnostic wrong. His muscles weren't in a bad shape; it felt like he could use them still. So he did.

Getting on the chair was easy. He didn't even feel when his feet fell hard on the ground, pulled down from the bed by the gravity. He put his jacket on, realizing only now that he was cold.

Fortunately, the chair was just in front of the window, with its back to it. Izaya would have minded if he had had to crawl all the way. And he needed something to use as a stepladder. He opened the window, and the cool air of the spring hit his face.

He examined the fire escape appreciatively. Shinra's building was a modern one, and in reflect to that, the fire escape wasn't all rusty nor crumbling on itself. _But even the sturdiest structure can be ripped out_ , Izaya mused, recalling his fight with Shizuo.

He took a deep breath and braced himself. He gripped the side of the window and pulled himself up, carefully sitting on the windowsill. Keeping on hand on the edge to maintain his balance, he managed to lift his legs from one side to the other. That's when he noticed he had forgotten to put his shoes on. He glanced back, spotting them near the door.

Well. It wasn't really important; it's not like he was going to walk. Furthermore, he was practically outside already.

The last part was the most difficult. There was at least four feet between the window and the floor of the fire escape. The stairs were on his right, not too far away. His plan was to fell forward in the simulacra of a jump and grab the railing while landing on the second step. On his butt, preferably.

It wasn't the most gracious figure of parkour he had ever done, but he couldn't afford to be picky anymore.

Izaya counted to three, then let go of the windowsill. The dead of weight that was his legs pulled him forward, and he successfully took hold of the railing. However, he had miscalculated the speed he would have, and crashed against the wall.

Bouncing back with a grunt of pain, he settled on the first step. With a sigh, he massaged his shoulder, which had taken the worst of it.

Then he advised the stairs. Should he go up or down? Even if he got to the ground, he wouldn't be able to go very far. And Shinra would never suspect that he went up, because, if he wanted to leave, why would he go that way?

Izaya wondered the same thing as he climbed, step by step, pushing himself up with his arms He didn't really want to leave. He was just bored, and this party looked like a big joke. Moreover, it would be funny to have Shinra panic and look for him everywhere.

Three floors up later, Izaya took a break. The building had nine floors, and Shinra's was the fourth, so there were only two other floors left.

Letting his legs dangle in the void, Izaya looked down. And was greeted by a mop of blonde hair. He recognized their owner right away.

Shizuo was standing in the alleyway, smoking one of his cigarette. Shinra must have kicked him out, not wanting the smell or the smoke in his flat. Why was he still there though? Had he slept at Shinra's too? Was he staying for the party?

Izaya pouted. No one cared about what he wanted. They all did what they wished, no matter if Izaya disliked it. He didn't want Shizuo to be at his surprise party. The blond would do something unpredictable again and ruin everything.

A minute later, Izaya decided to resume his climbing, when Shizuo looked up. Why, the informant didn't know. Maybe it was Shizuo's animal instinct, or his enhanced hearing, or just a coincidence. Either way, he looked up, and spotted Izaya.

His eyes widened and his cigarette dropped to the ground.

"Flea?! The fuck are you doing here?!"

Izaya waved cheerfully at him, and Shizuo swore, before sprinting back into the building. That made Izaya laugh. He climbed some more, and was almost to the top when he heard Shinra called his name. Looking down, he saw the doctor's head sticking out of the window.

"Izaya-kun! What on earth are you doing? And how did you even get here? Come back immediately, doctor orders! Ah, no wait, you'll hurt yourself. Hum. Shizuo-kun? Please, can you go get him?"

Izaya heard a grunt, then Shizuo came into view. With a grin, the informant continued his ascension, finally making it to the top. Shizuo was shouting his name, taking the stairs four by four, but the informant ignored him, enjoying the panoramic view of the city that was offered to him.

He really had something for city landscape.

"Damn it, flea!"

Shizuo stood behind him, panting softly, while Izaya was sitting at the edge of the roof. When he turned, he saw the blond was giving him a weird look, almost like fear, but not quite. Izaya frowned, then shrugged. He never understood what was going on in Shizuo's brain anyway.

He extended his arms toward the blond and put on his most infuriating smirk.

"I'm tired… Give me a piggy-back, Shizu-chan!"

Shizuo's expression melted into relief, much to Izaya's confusion.

"Sure," the blond agreed and got down on his knees.

Izaya was sure he was missing something. Shizuo's behavior was more unpredictable than ever. He was supposed to get angry, to reject his request… not to accept it without hesitation.

The informant kept on smiling nonetheless and wrapped his arms around Shizuo's neck. Hands came up and lifted his legs with ease, placing them against the blond's hips. The he stood up, and Izaya blinked, a bit dizzy from the sudden movement.

Shizuo's warmth was seeping through his shirt, and Izaya snuggled his head in the crook of his neck. It was really comfortable, if he forgot the fact that this was Shizuo. Or maybe it was comfortable because it was Shizuo?

The contradictory part of him wanted the blond to be annoyed, to push him away, but his childish self, whom he had let show quite often in the past month, was telling him to stop being a brat and enjoy it. He had never had a piggy-back before…

Shizuo didn't get mad. He even turned his head to let Izaya have more space. He began to get back down the stairs, his hands firm but not bruising under Izaya's knees.

"Ne, Shizu-chan, you better not drop me."

"Of course not, stupid flea. You're super light anyway."

"It's because of your monstrous strength, Shizu-chan. You wouldn't notice if I was a three hundred pounds' fat."

Shizuo's grip on him tightened so much Izaya felt the pain through the numbness of his legs. He winced, involuntarily tightening his own grip on the blond's neck. Shizuo immediately released the pressure, even a bit too much, and nearly dropped the informant.

"Shut up, flea. Why are you always trying to make me angry?"

"Because it's fun, Shizu-chan!" _And you're predictable when you're angry, at least,_ Izaya added in his head.

"You still think that? Even after... what I've done?" Shizuo stopped and stayed where he was, two floors above Shinra's. He sounded regretful, but there was some hope mixed in his tone too.

"Why wouldn't I? I knew what I was getting into, when I fought with you, Shizu-chan. It doesn't change anything. I'm not afraid of you, even if I can't run from you anymore."

Shizuo was speechless for a moment, and Izaya nudged him with his head.

"But instead, I got you to carry me!" He giggled like a little girl, because the conversation filled him with inexplicable glee. Maybe Shizuo could come to his party, after all.

The blond lowered his head and moved again. "That's right. You're the flea, always clinging to everyone."

"If you say so, Shizu-chan!" Izaya laughed again.

When they got to the open window, Shinra was waiting for them. It was clear from his expression that he heard their conversation, but that didn't prevent him from glaring at Izaya. He even let the light reflect into his lenses threateningly.

"I was bored!" the informant defended himself. "It's your fault anyway, leaving me alone!"

Shinra sighed. "Look, I was busy, and I thought you would still be asleep..."

"Yeah, busy throwing a party."

Shinra sighed again, with more annoyance this time. "And here I expected a bit more of professionalism on Shiki-san's part."

Izaya shrugged, and Shizuo walked to the bed. "Let go, flea." And obviously, Izaya didn't. He kept his arms around the blond's neck.

"No, I'm staying up here. I don't want to be left on my own again."

"What? Get down, louse!"

"No!" Izaya held on tight, despite Shizuo trying to shake him off. "I'm never letting go!"

Shinra watched with amusement as Shizuo finally gave up and lifted Izaya's legs again, taking most of his weight and causing the choking hold the informant had on his neck to loosen. With his strength, the blond could surely pry himself free if he wanted; why he didn't, Izaya could only wonder.

"Yeah! Shizu-chan, you are now my personal carrier!"

Shizuo turned to Shinra. "What the hell did you gave him to get him this high?"

"Nothing, Shizuo-kun. The effect of the painkillers should have worn off long ago."

Shizuo scowled, annoyed. He turned on himself, making Izaya dizzy.

"Ahah, Shizu-chan!" The informant laughed. "Stop it, I'm not getting down!"

Shinra smiled at their antics. "You two look ridiculous," he told them.

Shizuo stopped spinning around, and Izaya pressed his forehead against his shoulder, trying to stop a headache from coming.

"You really are a flea," Shizuo muttered, making the informant chuckle weakly. The blond mumbled something unintelligible under his breath, and walked out of the room.

"Shizuo-kun!" Shinra's reaction was too slow, and before he could stop him, the blond was already in the living room.

Izaya looked up to see Celty, who was trying to obstruct his view, but she didn't really do a good job at it. He could see his sisters in the kitchen, fussing over a big chocolate cake, and Shiki (who, surprisingly, was still here) was on the couch, talking into his phone. There were balloons and bright color all over the place, which nearly made Izaya cringe.

"Ah, Shizuo-kun! You've ruined it! It's supposed to be a surprise party!" Shinra came behind them, whining. Celty showed him something on her screen, and he calmed down a bit.

Meanwhile, Shizuo stopped near the couch, beside Shiki, and shook Izaya a bit.

"Get off, now, flea. You're not alone." The phrase came out oddly, and the informant felt a pang in his chest.

"I don't wanna!" he replied.

This time, however, Shizuo wasn't having it. He bent down, and let go of Izaya's legs, which flopped onto the couch. He then grabbed the informant's hands, prying them apart before he stepped back.

Izaya, now sited on the couch, gave him a pout. Shizuo gave him a glare, before stalking away. Probably to smoke another cigarette.

Getting comfortable with the pillows, Izaya took a look around. Shinra was talking to Celty; his sisters were putting weird things on the cake. And his wheelchair still wasn't in sight.

He turned to Shiki, who was closing his phone.

"I didn't expect you to be still here."

Shiki shrugged. "Kishitani-san invited me to stay."

"I didn't expect you to be fond of birthday parties either."

"I'm not. Maybe it's because it's you, I'm fond of."

"That's sweet, Shiki-san, but we are both taken."

"Are we?"

"Well, your relation with Akabayashi-san isn't what someone would called platonic, and I love all humanity."

"Oh? And what about Heiwajima?"

Izaya probably deserved an award for not reacting except for a raised eyebrow. "What? Shizu-chan? We don't have that kind of relationship at all, Shiki-san. It's the complete opposite."

"You seemed pretty close to me, just now."

"I was just messing with him, that's all there is to it. Need I remind you that he is the one who put me into a wheelchair?"

"You don't seem to mind, nor fear him, Izaya-kun."

Izaya sighed, not happy with the way the conversation was heading. "What did they do with my wheelchair anyway?"

Shiki didn't reply but Shinra heard. "Don't worry, it's not lost. It's just that it's not really practical, and you don't need it in such a tight space!"

"I don't?"

"You don't!"

Izaya got the sudden urge to strangle Shinra. The doctor himself had moved around the flat in a wheelchair after he had been attacked by Hijiribe Rury's stalker. Shinra must have sensed his murderous intent, because he sauntered closer to Celty. The dullahan tapped something on her phone and showed it to him. The doctor nodded with a smile and glanced sideways toward Izaya, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously. What were they plotting?

He got his answer a second later, when Celty send her shadow toward him and he found himself blind. Trying not to panic, he lifted one hand to his eyes and felt the smooth surface of Celty's shadow around his head.

"What...?"

He felt a hand on his forearm and flinched.

"Shinra, what the hell? Celty, would you mind taking that off?"

"Ah, no, sorry, Izaya-kun. It's a surprise party, but since you insist on being here for the preparation, this is the only way to preserve some kind of mystery."

"Oh, come on. I already busted everything."

"No can do, we haven't even done half of what we planned! Stop complaining, it's for you."

"You didn't even ask me if I wanted this party or not."

"Of course I didn't, it's a _surprise_ party!"

Izaya sighed and batted the hand away. He thought it was Shinra's, but he heard the doctor's voice at the same time, too far away for him to be this close to him.

"Shiki-san?" He wanted to confirm. The yakuza didn't respond, but another hand brushed his arm.

Izaya leaned back against the cushion of the couch with a sigh. He really didn't have any control anymore.

Since Shizuo had rescued him, he felt like he was only enduring the action, not enacting it. On the opposite, he had felt completely in control during his test, and he missed the sensation. But he was in friendly hands, wasn't he? So it couldn't be that bad...

Ten minutes later, he relented. It was bad. He was as bored as he was in the bedroom. Shiki had gone off somewhere, and everyone else was too busy doing who knows what to talk to him.

Then he got an idea. He cleared his throat.

"Not that I want to interrupt, but could I go to the bathroom?"

There was a moment of silence, the clatter of dishes and the hushed conversation stopping.

"I didn't really think about that..." Shinra said. He sounded embarrassed, and he should be. He was a doctor. It was part of his job to think about things like that.

There was another moment of silence, and Izaya imagined Celty quickly tapping on her phone, before Shinra made a noise of horror. "No, Celty! I know you want to help, but you're not doing that! I'm the only one you have to see nak – Owowowo!"

Izaya smirked. "Thank you, Celty, but I can do my part just fine. I just need, you know... to get there."

"We will carry you, Iza-nii!" Mairu exclaimed right next to him, and Izaya willed himself not to flinch.

"Ahah, I know I'm not heavy, but I doubt you could, Mairu."

Shinra was still bickering with Celty, and Izaya heard him get punched in the stomach at least twice. "No, you couldn't," the informant repeated. "But Shizu-chan doesn't have such problem, does he?"

"Huh?" came the very intelligent-sounding grunt from the other side of the room. Shizuo had come back from his cigarette break a few minute ago, and Izaya could only guess he was trying to inflate some balloons, given the number of them which had exploded.

"Come on, Shizu-chan! Use your monstrous strength to do something good for once!"

"What? I'm not carrying you ever again, flea!" His voice was closer.

"Really? But, Shizu-chan... I need to go..." Izaya's eyes were hidden, but he could be very expressive when he wanted, and he conveyed his fake sorrow with a clever downturn of his mouth, as well as with a slight tremble in his lower lip.

He didn't have to force himself to imagine the face Shizuo was making. Taken aback, the blond sputtered. "C-Can't someone else do it?"

There was a moment of silence, and Izaya guessed that Shizuo was turning to the other and getting a shake of the head in response.

"Okay... Okay, fine!" Shizuo finally gave in. Izaya raised his arms, expecting to find the blond's back, but he felt hands slide under his waist and knees, lifting him up. Clutching to Shizuo's shirt for balance, Izaya smirked up at him.

"Really, Shizu-chan? Bridal style? And here I thought you hated me."

"It's easier, that's all. This doesn't change anything!" But Izaya had a feeling he was blushing, so he reached up and touched the blond's cheek. It was warm, warmer than his hands. "Hey, hands off!"

Izaya chuckled, but did as he was told. "You appear to be blushing, Shizu-chan!"

"I'm not. You can't see a thing, anyway, how would you know?"

Izaya just laughed again, and Shizuo made a noise of frustration before moving. They got out of the room, then into the alleyway, before arriving in front of the bathroom door.

"No need to go further, Shizu-chan. I changed my mind," Izaya said before Shizuo could enter.

"What?"

"I don't want to go anymore."

"The fuck, flea?"

"Come on, Shizu-chan, I was just messing with you, since I was bored. I don't really need to go to the bathroom."

Shizuo didn't answer, and Izaya frowned. He couldn't see what face the blond was making. Finally, there was a sigh, and Shizuo walked back to the living room. Their quick return surely raised a few eyebrows, but no one said anything.

Shizuo stilled, probably in front of the couch, and as Izaya wondered what he was going to do, he was thrown on the couch. "Ow, Shizu-chan, be gentler!" There wasn't any damage, since the couch was soft, but Izaya still complained for the principle.

Shizuo huffed before walking away. Izaya heard Shinra ask the blond what happened, but didn't bother paying attention. The preparation for the party resumed around him, even if he couldn't see anything.

Lying on the couch, he curled into himself, handling his legs up and circling them with his arms. His head rested on the armrest, and he wrapped himself tight into his jacket. He didn't expect to sleep, but his body was still sore from yesterday, and there wasn't anything else to do.

So he slept, and dreamed.

* * *

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, everyone ! I'm so sorry I took so long, but it's a good thing. Really.

I had already finished this story when I started posting, but the ending was cheesy, unrealistic and with a lot of fluff. This kind of ending is not bad per se, but you, readers, wrote me reviews that made me realise that you had better expectation for this fic, so I decided to make something that won't disappoint you guys.

Anyway, thanks a lot for reading this story and reviewing ^^

This chapter is short (sorry), and was finished a long time ago, but I wanted to work on the next one before posting it. So here we go. Shizuo's POV !

Thanks to **Sweet-Strawberry-09** for the beta !

(And I will never give up on a story. For those who ask.)

* * *

 **Oustide Interference - 04**

* * *

Izaya didn't usually dream.

Or, more accurately, he didn't remember when he did. He would wake with a lingering impression, but with nothing more than a feeling of joy or unease. It was the same for his nightmares. There would be tears in his eyes and an aftertaste of terror in his mouth, but nothing to remember.

Izaya was fine with that. It was just something else that was different about him. It didn't mean he wasn't curious, though. He read a lot about psychology, and the symbolic of dreams came up often. He wondered, from time to time, if his dreams looked more like a broken toy box with distorted monsters, or, on the contrary, like a colourful rainbow full of his lovely humans.

It was no different when he fell asleep on Shinra's couch. He dreamt. Of past memories, chase and monsters; of lies and deals; of empty house and red lines and of running and falling. Or maybe he didn't dream at all. Either way, he wouldn't know.

But the thing was… Izaya talked in his sleep. He didn't know that, of course. Who would have told him? He never slept with anybody, except his sisters when he was young, but they were as well and didn't really make much of it. He tended to form full sentences when he was having a ridiculous dream, but the nightmare often brought broken whispers.

There were whispers that were leaving his mouth now, as he remained motionless on Shinra's couch, deeply asleep. He was very quiet, because louse noise reverberated too frighteningly in an empty house, and one had to be very attentive to hear him over the sound of the party's preparation and the chattering of Shinra and Mairu.

Or, one had to have a very ridiculously good hearing, like Heiwajima Shizuo. But of course, it also helped that he was sitting right next to him on the couch.

However, the blond wasn't going to point it out. He couldn't help hearing it, but he wasn't going to stick his nose in the informant's business. Or, at least, he wasn't, until one particular word reached his ears.

"S-Shizu..." Izaya's voice was so soft, so quiet, and he trailed off before finishing the nickname.

Shizuo cringed, and the balloon he was trying to inflate exploded between his hands. What the fuck was that? Izaya was having a nightmare about him? This man was so full of bullshit, saying he wasn't afraid of him, would never be, and then this...

Shizuo felt kind of betrayed, but the vicious guilt, which he had kept at bay after having saved Izaya, overwhelmed him. _A monster such as you will always be feared_ , taunted a voice in his head, not unlike Izaya's.

"Stop..." Izaya was getting breathless, and he shifted on the couch, turning his back to the room. His voice was even more muffled by the cushion as the whispers resumed.

Shizuo reached for another balloon. What horror was the informant seeing? Was he reliving their fight, enduring the pain all over again?

"No... Ah... More..."

Another balloon exploded, and Shinra gave him a look, because it was his second balloon in a row. Shizuo ignored him, mechanically taking another one. Was that... a moan? And why was Izaya asking for more? It couldn't be a fight...

Another weird sound tore out the informant throat, and Shizuo's eyes widened. It wasn't a nightmare. It was an erotic dream.

What Shizuo had mistaken for whispers of fright were in fact moans of pleasure.

"H-Harder, Shizu-chan!"

Shizuo's face took a lovely shade of red and he ducked his head, mortified.

"Eh? Didn't you hear something just now?" Shinra said, looking over. The blond wordlessly shook his head, and the doctor shrugged, going back to the streamer he was hanging.

Once Shinra wasn't looking anymore, Shizuo clamped one hand on Izaya's mouth. His skin was refreshingly cold, despite the warmth of the room and the kind of dream he was having. The informant stopped making sound, and Shizuo struggled to inflate his balloon with just one hand.

Two minutes later, the blond jumped when Izaya's tongue darted out to lick his palm. Jerking away, Shizuo expected the informant to sit up with a grin, but he didn't move at all. He wasn't awake? The blond couldn't see if his eyes were open or not because of Celty's shadow.

"Flea?" He called softly, but got no reaction whatsoever.

Frowning, Shizuo leaned over him. He seemed really asleep. When he straightened up, he caught sight of Shinra, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" The blond growled.

"Nothing, Shizuo-kun. Just... Let him rest, okay?" The doctor winked before going back to his business. Shizuo frowned and moved a bit further away from Izaya. It wouldn't do for Shinra to imagine things.

The blond looked down at Izaya, who fortunately had stopped making erotic noises. His lips were parted, and there was a bit of saliva at the corner of his mouth where his tongue had passed earlier. The sight made Shizuo blush deeper and he stood up.

"Going for a cigarette." He tossed to Shinra. He passed Izaya's sisters, who were doing some cooking, and Celty near the door, who seemed to be arguing with Shiki about things Shizuo didn't care about.

Once outside, he lighted one cigarette (already the fourth one since he woke up this morning). The nicotine slowly worked his way through his brain, and he relaxed soon enough. That is, until he thought about Izaya.

If Shizuo was the kind of man to delude himself, he would forget the entire things and deny it ever happened. However, he always got his facts straight, and the fact was Izaya lusted after him. No, that was maybe too big of a leap: the fact was Izaya was having erotic dream about him.

Shizuo knew that dreams couldn't be controlled and that they didn't necessarily reflect reality, but there still must be some unconscious _want_ in there.

The blond sighed. He didn't know what to do. Izaya was... Izaya. The man he had hated since high-school. Yes, had, because it was difficult to say he still hated the informant, since it wasn't the case.

When he had found out Izaya was still alive, he had realised he didn't despised him like he used to. Once the shock and the anger of the discovery had worn off, he had even felt relieved. Relieved that Izaya was alive or that he hadn't become a murderer, he didn't know.

But going from hatred to love was maybe too much to ask. He didn't like Izaya per se, he just didn't hate him. His guilt ate away any kind of relationship they could build, and each time he was reminded of the state of Izaya's legs, his self-loathing flared up.

And yet, the informant had said he didn't care. That, coupled with the dream, made Shizuo wonder. Did Izaya still hate him? He had also said that nothing had changed, so did that meant he never hated him? But the informant had always gone out of his way to make Shizuo's life a living hell...

 _Don't tell me it's was his distorted way of showing love_ , Shizuo thought. Letting go of his cigarette, he stomped on it, before going back into the building.

Izaya was beautiful, there was no denying it. Shizuo had been attracted to him the first time he saw him, but the informant's personality had been a huge turn off. He hadn't really thought about it since then, but he had to admit that the sight of Izaya's face, contorted in pleasure under him, made his blood flood to something that wasn't his brain.

Shizuo thought the informant had changed, since their fight. Sure, he was still a shitty flea, but his taunting wasn't as mean as it used to be, and there was even an underlying tone of fondness whenever he called him a monster. Moreover, he seemed almost… childish in his words and actions. The blond didn't know what to think about that, because a childish Izaya looked like an innocent Izaya… And he sure as hell wasn't innocent, but Shizuo tended to forget that.

He thought back at the scene when Izaya had accused him of having fallen in love with him. Could he? Fall in love with that man, who wasn't afraid of him, who didn't hold any grudge against him for his legs and who was, apparently, infatuated with him?

But that was it. His legs. No, Shizuo didn't care about it in the practical sense. He would be happy to take care of the person he loved if this person was disabled. No, the problem was the guilt. He couldn't shake it off, couldn't snap out of it.

Shizuo didn't want to base an entire relationship on a guilty feeling that forced him to act nice. He didn't want to be with Izaya because he owed him; he wanted to be with him because he wanted to.

And for now, Shizuo didn't know which one of those feeling prevailed.

(However, Shizuo was mistaken. Izaya wasn't having an erotic dream.)

(He dreamed about Shizuo giving him a massage.)

(A very good one.)

* * *

TBC

And I wanted to answer to a guest review. Reading it made me very happy.

 _Hi **Liz**! First of all, thanks for your review ^^ _

_I totally agree about Tsukumoya ; I made him very OOC, but I needed it for the plot (yeah, I know, that's a very bad excuse XD), so since it's not a well known character, I hoped it wouldn't bother the reader too much. But he wasn't that hostile towards Izaya ; he just wanted to make him act out a bit and stop mopping over himself._

 _About Mairu, you're right, I made her too quiet... I hadn't really noticed XD I will try to get her right in the next chapters !_

 _The third point, with Izaya being so touchy, it's normal. There is a reason, but I won't say it here because it's spoiler (but there is a hint in this chapter) ^^ I know that in the anime/novels he isn't that touchy, but in this fic I insiste on the childish parts of his personnality, so we could say my Izaya isn't exactly canon, but it's still Izaya XD_

 _Your comment doesn't sound rude ; on the contrary, I love criticism when its well-argumented, so thank you for helping me improve this fic ^^ Hope you will enjoy it ^^_

Oh, and thanks **Famelia Fy** for the offer ^^


	5. Chapter 5

Hi ! It's been a month, but here chapter five :)

Thanks to my beta, Sweet-Strawberry-09, and to all the people who reviewed, you're amazing !

(About the massage, I don't know about you, but I've a lot of backache, and when someone take the time to massage me really thoroughly, I feel like I could melt on the spot XD So maybe Izaya's reaction was a tiny bit exagerated, but not so much XD)

* * *

 **Outside Interference - 05**

* * *

Izaya woke up with a pleasant hum at the back of his brain. He felt quite relaxed, even the aching muscles of his arms and the fact that he still couldn't feel his legs didn't prevent him from being in a good mood.

He yawned, before carefully unfolding himself and sitting up. He still had Celty's shadow wrapped around his head as a blindfold, so he couldn't see, but when he moved, the room fell eerily silent, and Izaya could only guess that everyone was looking at him.

However, no one spoke. Izaya frowned. He had heard Shinra's whiny voice just a few second ago, so he was obviously here.

"What is it?" he asked.

They didn't respond, and Izaya wondered if that was part of the 'surprise' party.

"I know you're here, I can hear you all breathing." Speaking of which, there were too many of them. There should be only five: Shinra, Shizuo, Shiki and his sisters (obviously, Celty didn't count). However, he counted two more.

 _Damn, who did Shinra took the liberty to invite?_

He reached for his blindfold to try and take it off, annoyed at not being able to understand what was going on. To his surprise, the black fabric came off when he gave it a tug. The light momentarily blinded him, and he blinked.

"Happy birthday, Izaya!"

He heard them before he saw them, and the sudden noise startled him. He looked up, his vision clearing, and was greeted with smiles and clapping.

All Izaya could think at the moment was: _Thanks God, they didn't shower me with confetti._

The living room was quite crowded. In addition to the six mentioned earlier, there was also Akabayashi and Akane. Izaya looked around, half-expecting to see Tom and Varona, or even the Raira kids. Fortunately, they weren't there.

"Thanks," he replied with a smile, "but that was yesterday."

In sync, they gave him a look (save for Akane, who actually looked quite stricken), because they knew that, but apparently, he was busy yesterday, so they delayed. Izaya raised his hand in surrender. And took a quick look at the decoration.

There were balloons everywhere. On the floor, the wall, the furniture. Big streamers hang on the wall, ranging from the usual "Happy Birthday" to a weirdly inappropriate "Never stop running toward you dreams!". There were flashy colours everywhere, and Izaya thought Shinra and his sisters must have really enjoyed themselves.

Lastly, right in front of the couch was a huge table. The TV and the armchairs had been pushed to make place. The table was crumbling under dozens of flowers, and there was barely any place for the dishes.

Really, this was way too much.

"All of this is completely unnecessary," he said.

Some sighed. "Don't be a killjoy!" Shinra exclaimed, and motioned to everyone to take a seat, while he hopped off in the kitchen. Izaya imitated them, moving closer to the table and putting his legs underneath.

He felt a bit self-conscious, with everyone watching him doing the bothersome process of lifting his legs on the couch, moving to the side centimetre by centimetre, then finally pushing his legs back. It would have been much simpler if it weren't for the table's foot.

When Izaya looked up, he was surprised to see where some people had chosen to sit. Next to him, on his left and right respectively, were Shiki and Shizuo. Facing each other, Akabayashi and Celty followed. Shinra (whom seat was for the moment empty) was beside the dullahan, with Akane in front of him, while his sisters were huddled at the end of the table.

"So how old are you now, Izaya-onii-chan?" Akane then asked, with a big smile. She was obviously happy that her Shizuo-onii-chan and her Izaya-onii-chan were sitting next to each other.

Izaya frowned. He had lost track. He was twenty-three when he first met Mikado, so, since two years had gone by, he must be...

"Twenty-five, right?" Shizuo interrupted when the informant took too long to respond.

Izaya smiled. "Probably, Shizu-chan, but I will be twenty-three forever anyway."

"Age affect us all, Orihara-san," Akabayashi replied.

"Even you aren't immune to it," Shiki added.

Izaya grinned at them, before turning to Celty. "I could be. Do you think I would become a vampire if I drink some dullahan's blood?"

Celty nearly dropped her phone while trying to type.

[W-What?]

"Now, now, Izaya-kun, don't go spouting nonsense about my lovely Celty." Shinra came out of the kitchen faster than lightening, with a threatening smile. "You won't even touch her hair."

Izaya chuckled. "Just kidding, Shinra. But how could I touch her hair? She doesn't have a head."

Shinra made a face. "Hairs, then."

"Well, if I recall correctly, she doesn't have those either."

"W-What?" Shinra looked mortified. "You have seen her naked?" The doctor's eyes were wide as saucer. "Don't tell me you did **** and *** with her while I wasn't looking – "

Suddenly, black shadows wrapped itself around Shinra's mouth, silencing him, before a powerful kick in the stomach sent him tumbling across the room.

[Stop it, Shinra! He has never seen me naked, and we have never done... t-that!]

Izaya laughed quietly at the scene. With a sigh, Akabayashi let go of Akane's ears, on which he had put his hands to prevent her from hearing Shinra obscenities. Shizuo was frowning at the informant, ignoring the dullahan and the doctor in the background, even if Shinra was yelling that yes, he did know she didn't have hairs, but he didn't expect Izaya to correct him.

"You're are so mean, Iza-nii!" Mairu exclaimed.

"Ow, that hurts, Mairu! Don't they say that lover's quarrel strengthens bonds?"

"Well then, you must be very attached to Shizu-chan by now."

Izaya glared at her, but his little sister had already left to fetch the cake since Celty had left a nearly unconscious Shinra on the floor. Fortunately, Shizuo hadn't heard. Actually, he was still stuck on the argument.

"What was that for?" Shizuo asked, and Izaya frowned. Why was the blond asking that? Well, he had a motive, but no one ever asked why he did things. At least, not the one that knew him. They were sick of him answering with "It's because I love humans!"

"Getting revenge about this morning," Izaya replied truthfully.

Shiki shook his head. "Do I need to expect something too?" he asked. Izaya just smiled.

Mairu came back with the cake, and Izaya suffered through the usual song (he suspected Akane and his sisters were the only one who really did it), eyeing what had been placed in front of him.

He had got a glimpse of it before, but the aspect had worsened. The brown of the chocolate wasn't even showing, under all the blue and the red. Could food even be blue? It looked like some crème... but more solid. He figured it was good, since his sisters had cooked it, but the aspect was a bit repulsing.

Izaya blew the twenty-fives candles, except two, and smirked as everyone rolled their eyes. Shizuo extinguished them with two fingers.

"You're cutting the cake, Shizu-chan?" The informant asked, handing him the knife. Something flickered in the blond's eyes, and Izaya thought he was going to decline.

"Sure." Shizuo agreed, with the same tone as when Izaya asked him for the piggy-back.

"Try not to cut the table underneath with it, okay?" The informant said, half-taunting half-serious.

Shizuo ignored him and cut the cake in eight fairly equals parts.

"Shizu-chan, I knew you weren't the brightest, but make an effort! We are nine."

The blond glared at him, annoyed. "I'm not that stupid, flea! But I know you don't like sweets, right? And this cake is sugar-coated to the core, so you won't eat it."

There was a moment of stunned silence, because they had all forgotten. They knew Izaya didn't like most dessert, but they didn't connect it to the fact he wouldn't eat the cake. Because... it was a birthday cake, and everyone ate those, right?

Izaya thought the same thing, and was prepared to force himself to eat. "That's quite thoughtful of you, Shizu-chan... But I'm going to starve if I don't eat anything."

Now that he thought of it, he had missed dinner the day before and breakfast this morning, which meant he hadn't put anything in his stomach for twenty-four hours. And it didn't look like he was going to start eating healthy since they were having a cake instead of lunch.

"I got you something," Shizuo said, and actually reached into his pocket to retrieve a little package. It was a bit banged up and crumpled at the edge, and the blond opened it by ripping the top.

"Here," he said and put a financier, looking quite good despite the state of his box, on Izaya's plate.

"Shizu-chan?" Izaya asked, not sure what was happening.

"You like those, right?" Shizuo looked a bit worried.

"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to remember is all..." Izaya smiled, gazing at the little cake in wonder.

"Well, it's not like I could forget. You were practically in tears."

Izaya snorted. "I was not."

"Yes, you were. Shouting 'No, Shizu-chan, let me go, I can't play today, I have to go to the special sell!' Blablabla..." Shizuo pitched his voice high, not at all like Izaya's.

"And you kept chasing me! They were all gone when I finally made it to the store! They are quite hard to get, you know, it's French patisserie."

"Well, I managed to find one, so shut up." Shizuo looked away, and Izaya smiled a little.

"Thank you, then, I guess, Shizu-chan."

"It's no big deal. I only did it because it's your birthday," the blond muttered.

That didn't make Izaya look less happy, and he began to eat, earning some raised eyebrows for his rudeness.

"Give us some cake, Shizuo-san, come on," Mairu impatiently urged, and Shizuo rapidly put a piece of cake on each plate.

"So," Akabayashi said to break the awkward silence that settled. "Heiwajima-san already began with the gifts, so maybe we could keep going? I guess it won't be as good, but well..." The old man smirked.

Izaya looked at him oddly. "Gifts?" he echoed.

"Birthday present!" Mairu exclaimed and stormed off. Shinra disappeared too while Shiki just reached for a package at his feet.

Izaya blinked. Gifts? For him?

"Don't look so surprised, flea," Shizuo told him, munching on his cake.

Izaya smiled at him, a little patronizingly.

"Here you go!" Shinra came in, pushing a wheelchair in front of him. It wasn't Izaya's. "This one is better," the doctor told him. "Same size, same comfort, but it sturdier and I've got you special customized little secret drawer to hide useful thing."

"Like my knives," Izaya filled in.

"Like a first aid kit," Shizuo interrupted at the same time.

Shizuo sighed and Izaya laughed.

"Thanks, Shinra," the informant said. "And how are the brakes?"

"The same, I think... I didn't really pay attention to that, sorry... Maybe it's a bit smoother?" Shinra seemed unsure.

"In that case, I better try them." Izaya turned to Shizuo. "Shizu-chan, as my personal carrier, please... carry me!" Shizuo did, quickly and with a grunt of complain. Once sited in his new wheelchair, Izaya felt relief wash over him. He was mobile again.

Feeling the wheels, the informant turned on himself, before moving forward into a straight line. He hit the brakes, and they were indeed smoother, for he stopped slowly. He came back to the table with a grin.

"It's great, Shinra."

The doctor smiled, pleased with himself.

"Shizu-chan, move aside." He then asked, and the blond complied, putting his chair out of the way before sliding on the couch. Izaya took his place, fitting in the space between Celty and the couch. Shizuo exchanged their plates, and Izaya gave him a wink that made the blond look down at his cake like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Izaya-onii-chan!" Izaya looked to his side to see Akane standing with a present extended toward him. "It's for you! From Shiki-san, Akabayashi-san and me!"

"Thank you, Akane-chan!" Izaya received the gift and began unwrapping it carefully. He already had an idea of what it could be, coming from Shiki, and he wasn't disappointed: it was a tin soldier. Except it was a wounded one, coming back home with a big smile on his face, like he won the war by himself.

"Such subtlety, Shiki-san," Izaya smirked.

Shizuo and Shinra gave him questioning glance, and Celty held up her phone.

[Is there a particular meaning behind that?]

"Just an inside joke," Izaya replied and put the toy in his pocked. His smile, polite but cold, clearly indicated they should drop it. Akane went back to her seat, looking a little sad, and Izaya wondered if Shiki had explained to her the meaning of the soldier.

Fortunately, before anyone could ask further (Izaya really, really didn't want to have this conversation now. Or ever.) Mairu came back. She was hiding something behind her, and a sense of dread dawned over the informant. What did this little wicked girl have in store for him this time?

"Our turn, Iza-nii ! Don't you dare look disappointed, because we didn't put much effort into it. It's not like you had big expectations anyway, but still, here you go !"

Mairu kept going on about how he had weird taste and it was such a pain to find in a gift, but Izaya tuned her out and concentrated instead on the box in his hands. Unwrapping it, he found a book, with nothing on the cover. It was beautifully decorated though, with a majority of black and golden lines swirling from corner to corner.

"What is it?" he asked, and at the same time, opened it to find blank pages. "Is it a diary?"

Mairu and Kururi looked far too pleased with themselves for a gift in which they 'didn't put much effort into'. Moreover, he could swear the golden lines were handmade.

"Yep, a dairy ! You always have so much to tell the world, Iza-nii, maybe it will help you unwind."

Izaya frankly doubted they gave him that with such good intention in heart, but it didn't really matter. He never had a dairy before ; maybe he could try and write a few things down to see how it goes.

"Thank you, I guess."

After that, the party (if it was really one) resumed. The cake was good: they all expressed their compliments to the twin chiefs. Izaya's financier was also to his satisfaction, and soon enough, the plates were empty.

Afterwards, they chatted about idle things. Nothing too serious, and nothing about Izaya. They talked about the girls' life at school, Shinra's last client who had the weirdest injury ever and Shizuo's anger management ("Seriously, Shizu-chan, you improved!").

Mairu and Kururi left first, followed by Celty who was called on a job. Akabayashi took Akane back to her father and Shiki bided them goodbye some time after. Soon enough, there was only Izaya, Shizuo and Shinra.

"You need a ride?" Shinra asked the informant. "I can call a cab."

"Eh? Shizu-chan isn't going to take me back home?"

Said Shizu-chan was in the process of lacing his shoes, his coat half-way put. "Not gonna do it," he stated, before waving at Shinra and leaving the flat.

Izaya raised an eyebrow. "Well, he doesn't deserve to be my personal carrier anymore."

"Let the poor man go." Shinra sighed. "You've been bullying him all morning."

Izaya shrugged. "Call me a cab then. Oh, no, wait, it's only four in the afternoon. I can go back on my own. Stroll around a bit. Get some fresh air."

"Not a good idea. Everyone knows you're alive now, and you'll just keep getting attacked. Shizuo won't be here this time."

"Fine ! But you pay the cab."

Shinra shook his head. "That is the most immature thing I've ever heard."

"Maybe it's because you never listen to yourself."

"Never mind. _That_ is the most immature thing I've ever heard. Aren't you a billionaire ? Pay your own cab !"

"How much money do you think I have? You're probably richer than me!"

"That's untrue and you know it."

"Well, you're wealthy enough to pay a cab."

"So are you."

Things evolved into a staring contest, and Izaya was determined not to look away. It wasn't like he wanted to take a cab ; so if Shinra called one, he would be the one to pay. But the doctor, being the vicious man he was, fixed his glasses with one finger, making the light dance against the lenses, and Izaya found himself blinking, momentarily blinded.

"You cheated!" he exclaimed.

"You didn't specify the rules." And with that, Shinra left him and went to call a cab.

Izaya pouted, kept pouting as Shinra lifted him in the cab and was still pouting when the car stopped in front of his building. The taxi driver was a kind woman, and after getting paid, she helped him back into his wheelchair. Soon enough, he was back in his flat.

To square one.

Not really knowing what to do, or rather, not wanting to do anything, Izaya placed the tin soldier he brought back with all the others, in his nightstand, before going to his desk with the dairy. He opened it to the first page, and stared at the blank space for a while.

 _Dear Dairy,_ he wrote, then stopped.

After a minute or so, he sighed, scratched his head and nibbled at his pencil.

 _It's been a long day._

He stopped, read what he wrote and snickered, before crossing the line. He tried again.

 _You are a gift from my sisters._

He crossed the line. It didn't sound right. Disregarding the dairy for a while, he powered on his computer and put on some music. He answered a few emails, spend way too much time on Facebook, before picking up his pen again.

 _I have mixed feelings._

That sounded more like something people wrote in their dairy.

 _About…_

Well, that was mysterious. Like the journal of a angsty teenage girl dreaming of white prince and castle. He erased the three dots. Suddenly feeling frustrated, he blackened the whole page, leaving just enough space to write :

 _I don't know how to express my feelings._

And that was what dairies were for. His sisters sure as hell hadn't choose this gift randomly. Opening a drawer, he took out a box of matches, and lighted the dairy on fire. He didn't need this stupid thing, and didn't have to try and open up if he didn't want to, no matter how much his sisters insisted on it.

With a smile, he watched as the fire consumed the last bit of paper, before realising that he had made a mess of his desk. Well. He will ask Akane to clean it. He was too tired to do it now. Because he was tired, he realised. He slept all morning, but still his body found the way to feel exhaustion. Nothing else to do than go to bed, then.

He took his laptop with him, though, and once comfortably installed against his pillows, powered it on.

Opening a new tab, he went to the Dollars' site and scrolled down the posts, reading absent-mindedly and finding nothing worth his attention. That is, until a particular title caught his attention.

 _Orihara Izaya, alive?_

Raising an amused eyebrow, he clicked on the post. He was greeted by a picture of himself, rolling down the street. The quality of the shot was quite good, and he was clearly recognizable. To leave no doubt, other photos were posted below. Him in front of Raijin, him with his sisters, him drinking in a cafe.

The reaction were various, and there was a lot of surprise and disbelief, as expected. However, the messages weren't all nice. Some even had an awfully personal tone.

 _ **Syfi98**_ _: Pfff, couldn't he stay dead? This guy is poison, we were better off without him._

 _ **Oberussen**_ _: That bastard is alive? Well, at least, he got what he deserved._

 _ **hater1999**_ _: Can't someone finish the job? It would be easy, just, you know, push him a little. It's not like he could fight back._

 _ **StupidAnon**_ _: Ahah, isn't he pathetic? The great Orihara Izaya can be hurt, just like everyone else. Too bad nobody give a damn._

Izaya sighed and scrolled down some more, but all the comment were similar, with the exception of the occasional "Heiwajima must be delighted" or "Is that a flying cat in the background?". Mikado mustn't have cleaned here yet, otherwise, there wouldn't be so much flame.

Izaya logged out soon enough, not in the mood to read such things. Who would, after all? Maybe Shizuo, the informant mused. The blond had turned self-loathing into an art.

Speaking of him, Izaya wondered why the blond had left in such a hurry. Maybe he shouldn't have asked Shizuo to take him back home. The joke went a little too far for the blond, surely. But it wasn't like Izaya cared.

Putting his laptop aside, he sank into his mattress, feeling the reassuring weight of the twenty blankets he had in top of the sheet. Sleep took less time than usual to find, and he quickly lost consciousness.

* * *

TBC


End file.
